


I'm here, even if no one else is

by SexyFrostGiants



Series: The Branches of Yggdrasil [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-12
Updated: 2013-09-16
Packaged: 2017-12-19 05:40:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/880072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SexyFrostGiants/pseuds/SexyFrostGiants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki while trying to escape punishment for attacking Midgard tries to de-age himself a few years, only he doesn't consider the variables and finds himself in an alternate reality. Now Loki has to find a way to survive in an unfriendly Jotunheim and hope he can get back to his reality - but as the trickster god he has to cause some mischief along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. For kicks and ... arrows?

**Author's Note:**

> So this probably will be an off again on again story with quite a few chapters - I have no clue how many - but I'm writing this for my own entertainment and none of the characters belong to me, well except Ánleifr, sorta. Anyways enjoy and tell me what you think and if I should continue posting on it or not :D

The god of mischief stares up at the man he'd once enslaved. The archers clear blue eyes are filled with loathing and a heated something that made the fallen trickster shudder with fear he could not suppress.

"Shall you kill me now, Agent Barton? Or do you await your team?" The Liesmith asked mockingly and the mortal above him kicked him as a sharp reminder of who was now in control between the two.

"Death would be too kind to you." Agent Clinton Barton of SHIELD growled at his once captor as he steadies the arrow he has aimed at the deities chest.

In silence green eyes stray to the arrow pointedly.  
"A precaution." Barton growled and the god laughed.

"Surely we can talk this out Agent, you know I am not without mercy-" The gods honeyed words are cut off by another sharp kick.

"Be silent! I want to hear no more of your lies Loki!" The mortal snarled in vicious anger.  
The god seethed silently at being kicked at like a bad dog. Was it not enough for the mortal to have Loki helpless at his feet?

"Things don't have to be this way Clint, if you help me you can rule at my side as my king." The god promised in his silken voice.  
"I would never want to rule by your side. And don't call me Clint." The man growled hatefully.

"Why do you deny me such familiar terms after all we've been through?" The ebony haired god demanded in frustration.

"We haven't been through anything! You took my mind and all that I was and you controlled me! I wouldn't have been by your side of my own free will." Clint snapped and the mischief maker sighed as if disappointed.

"What a tiresome thing that is." Loki said and the other man couldn't help but frown confusedly.

"What?" Clint prompted roughly, his question punctuated by a third jab of his booted foot into the gods side.

"Freedom." The father of lies answered a bit testily at the mortals nerve to continue treating him as if he were something small and insignificant, unable to defend himself.

"... to enjoy watching you suffer." The mortal is saying but the cunning man is already planning his escape.

No, Loki has no intentions of being captured this day.

"Would you be able to forgive me with time?" The god asks softly hoping to throw off his captor if only for a moment so he may get away.

"No one will ever forgive you, even your brother hates you now." Barton snarls and the god isn't surprised at his reply to the question that had been half curiosity and half attempted distraction.

"What if I repent? Would you allow me to serve you Clint? I could make you very happy indeed." The green eyed god purred he captures his bottom lip between his teeth and sends a coy look towards the agent.

"You really think I need what - a sex slave?" The mortal sneered derisively.

"I wouldn't mind showing you why I got the name Silver tongue." The immortal murmured suggestively.

To his shock and chagrin the mortal laughs in his face and kicks him harder than the last three times.

"I wouldn't want you if you were tied to my bed blinded and gagged with a pretty pink bow on your cock." The archer growled derisively and the god stared at him for a few moments in stunned silence.

Slowly a wicked grin slid on to the gods face.  
"Is that a suggestion?" Loki asked and Agent Barton shot the arrow he'd had aimed at the gods chest into the concrete by his head.  
Green eyes widen slightly and he watched the arrow suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.

The god looked at him a moment before smiling slyly.  
Before the two can exchange anymore words the rest of the Avengers rush into the large room Loki had been injured in, after the hulk had attacked him he had been unable to stand. Even though his body would heal enough to travel eventually he knew it wouldn't be in time. Now time was up and Loki still couldn't flee.

"Brother why would you do this?!" Thor demanded his voice distraught and Loki winced at the sound of his not-brothers overly loud voice.

The younger god refuses to answer and silently turns his face away; that being the only part of his body he was able to move without pain or fear of further injury.

"Grab him." Captain Rogers orders and two metal hands clasp the injured gods shoulders and begin to lift him.

Loki lets out a scream of agony that is only half false and the Metal Man releases him, even the small fall jars the tricksters back enough that it is agony to him though he only releases a small whimper this time.

"His injuries will heal enough that we are able to transport him shortly." The thunderer says emotionlessly.

"Brother please..." Loki whispers pathetically and sends Thor a desperate look.  
The elder of the brothers sighs and kneels by his siblings head to run gentle fingers through Loki's soft locks.

"Mother is worried about you." Thor tells his baby brother who frowns.  
"Does she know I live?" Loki finds himself asking and the other god nods in response.  
"What of the allfather? Has he planned my execution for my tyrannical reign?" The tricksters voice is sarcastic and angry, yet defeated and weak at the same time.

It never ceases to amaze Thor how Loki can be some many different people and things at once while being nothing and no one at the same time.

"No, he does not wish your death, only you to regret your deeds." Thor said with a frown knowing Loki would never regret what he felt was right.

"I only regret I let Jotunheim escape intact." Loki growled hatefully as he feels a powerful darkness pulling at his consciousness.

He knows he will succumb to this weakness no matter how he fights it and that Thor will take him away to torture and pain.

"I do not wish to see you hurt Loki, all you must do is repent." Thor urges but the younger god shakes his head as he focuses on a spell to not only shift his shape to a younger one but to shift his mind as well. Thor, nor the allfather, could punish an innocent. Loki isn't only shifting his mind he is erasing the last few years of his life. He would have no recollection of them or anything that had happened.

The young god didn't account for the fact that he was injured or exhausted, he didn't think his magic wasn't completely under his control.

That was why in a flash of green light the Avengers found themselves with a terrified Jötunn toddler and no idea what to do.


	2. On the branches of Yggdrasil

The Avengers quickly figured out they couldn't pick up the terrified toddler, his skin was far too cold and gravely injured those brave enough the brush his skin with theirs for the briefest of moments.

To Thor's horror the child that was his brother seems to have no memories of ever living in Asgard, Loki had reverted himself to a baby and replaced his early memories which should have been of Asgard with memories of how he would have lived had he lived in Jotunheim. Why, and more importantly how, Loki did such a thing was beyond even the allfather when he was called down to collect his wayward mischief maker.

The allfather is able to give the babe an Asgardian guise as he once did so long ago and he quickly soothes the child. Odin promises that yes Ánleifr, as the child had insisted was his name, would be returned to his Dam-King Laufey shortly. And no they had not taken him to eat his heart like Helblindi says that Asgardians do.

Eventually Odin is able to coax the Jötunn princeling to take a nap and the exhausted and frazzled adults all gather in a conference room on the SHIELD Helicarrier.

"Thor I fear Loki didn't just change his shape this time." Odin says fretfully and his heir looks to him questioningly.

"He managed to switch places with a different self from one of his possible branches on Yggdrasil, your brother is in a different reality." Odin said his voice had an uncertain note to it that Thor had never heard from his father before.

"I fear I may not be able to return him to us, we may be stuck with Ánleifr, and Loki may be stuck in the Jotunheim this young one hails from." The allfather and a shocked silence descended on the room.

The silence is soon broken by a child's wailings and several groans of frustration, quickly Odin rushes off to tend to the boy who named himself, the Heir of the Ancestors.

~•~

Meanwhile in the frozen palace of King Laufey Nálson an injured god of mischief struggles to his feet. Hearing shuffling the trickster looks up slowly to find himself surrounded by spears. In any other situation the widening of the Asgardians eyes might have been comical.

"Why are you here Asgardian?" Laufey snarls hatefully.

It could be no coincidence, the disappearance of his firstborn and the sudden appearance of this Asgardian beast.

"Who has sent you?" Laufey demands again as the pale man stares at him fearfully.

"But you're dead." He whimpered softly and Loki almost cursed himself as the Frost giants surrounding him bristled angrily.

"Dam!" A voice cries out fearfully and large doors burst open at the end of the great ice hall as two Jötunn children coming rushing into the large throne room Loki found himself in.

The two latched on to Laufey's legs and stared at him fearfully.  
"We can't find Ánleifr!" One cries distraughtly and Laufey keeps a suspicious eye on the Asgardian as he kneels to his children's level.

"I'm going to find your elder brother, but first I must deal with this wretch, go along and play and treat your Sire kindly." Laufey scolds adoringly and the two rush out again, content now.

"Answer my questions." The king demands once the doors slam shut.  
"I am Loki of Asgard, but I know not how I came to be here." The Liesmith says looking around desperately, he could find no advantage here.

Not with the mother he thought he'd killed standing above him and the brothers he'd hoped dead running about as children, and a third child by the name of Ánleifr, which thankfully was missing.

"Did Odin send you?" Laufey growled unwilling to believe this Asgardian wasn't involved in his sons kidnapping especially not with how he had shown up haloed in the same green light his Ánleifr was taken by.

"Odin? Hardly." The trickster snorts derisively.

As if Odin would have anything to do with him unless it was to punish him for attacking his golden boy. On several occasions.

"Mind how you speak Asgardian." Laufey growled dangerously.  
The liesmith sent the Jötunn King a smile that could be interpreted as kind or deadly.

"Majesty I am a visiting prince should I not be greeted with open arms rather than spears?" Loki asked as he pulled himself to his feet.

"You are not the prince of Asgard, we have seen Thor Odinson and you are not him." Laufey spit out his not-brothers name as if Thor were the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen or heard of. Perhaps he should take a look in the mirror, after all Frost Giants aren't known for their beauty, Loki thinks mockingly.

"I am Asgard's second Prince, the youngest child of Odin and Frigga. I am Loki." The god repeats waiting for the recognition and the horror to follow.

Loki is obviously shocked when Laufey laughs in his face, it is a cruel, cold, mockery of a sound. One very similar to Loki's own laughter. He refuses to think how similar to this creature he really is.

"Do you think me a fool? Believe you that I do not keep tabs on my enemies, the throne of Asgard has only one prince, they have had only one prince since before even my eldest was born." Laufey mocked and Loki paled and tried a different approach.

"I am your lost child returned to you Dam." Loki said and Laufey raised an eyebrow.

"I am Ánleifr, full grown. I hail from the future, king Odin has kidnapped me this day and taken me to Asgard to raise as his son, I have come back to the exact moment of my kidnapping to beg of you, save me from those brutes. I will be enslaved to his eldest son, and treated like a concubine as I grow older. Will you not save me from this fate Dam?" The trickster pleaded and saw something flicker in the Kings eyes.

"I am as I say, I will prove it to you." Loki said and then with much disgust wrapped his arms around Laufey. The Asgardian form he wore faded away to reveal blue skin and raised family lines marking him as the child of Laufey.

"Ánleifr!" Laufey cried in relief before hugging him tightly.

Loki fought a wince of pain as he felt as if all his bones were being crushed.  
The Frost Giant was a fool, far too easy to trick. Something was wrong, and Loki would find out what.

"I must make sure." Laufey said pushing the liesmith back.  
Before Loki could say anything the Jötunn king had ripped his clothing off. Instinctively the younger Jötunn recoiled, Laufey raised an eyebrow at this and Loki cursed himself.

"I thought you better than the Asgardians." The trickster hissed and Laufey slapped him hard enough to send the half bare god to the ground.

"So you shall rape me in the snow in full view of your court?" Loki spat hatefully, he hoped to uphold his cover as a prince turned concubine for at least more than a few moments.

"Child what monster do you take me for?" Laufey demanded a wounded expression on his face.

"I fear being bare skinned around others." Loki lied easily to the King, truth was Loki was rather confident concerning his body, even if it wasn't one an Asgardian was proud of it was his and another way in which he defied the allfather.

Laufey seemed satisfied with what he saw for he offered Loki his large hand.

"Rise my pale one, never shall another touch you against your will." Laufey said in his deep rumbling voice, it reminded the god of an avalanche, he had once seen in Midgard on a device Barton called a TV.

"I will prepare quarters for you Ánleifr, until they are finished you and I will discuss all that has transpired since you were taken from us." Laufey ordered and Loki thought quickly.

"I thank you Dam, but first may I give a suggestion?" The trickster asked his mind whirling with possibilities.

"Speak my child." Laufey agreed easily.

"A war on Asgard, they would not expect one so soon, and should their watcher see us gathering troops we will simply make it appear as if we intend to attack another Jötnar force, so we will be gathering two large armies to 'battle' one another and then unleash them on Asgard. If we do not attack Asgard now while they celebrate their victory in my kidnapping then later down the road Prince Thor will come along and slay you in your bed like the coward he is." Loki said a bit bitterly remembering how Laufey has intended to slay the allfather, not like he would have allowed it in any reality but still Frost Giant or not did the beast have no honor?

"You suggest war my son?" Laufey asked slowly.  
"I do not wish to face a reality in which my Dam is dead. Not if I can prevent it." The god said in soft tones.

Laufey gently hugged his child and Loki grudgingly wraps his small arms around the Giant as well.

"Is there anything else you ask of me?" Laufey asked slowly.  
"Only that you allow me to kill my captor, Thor must die by my hand." The trickster growled fiercely.

"I would not imagine denying you Ánleifr." Laufey said and Loki smirked and hide his smile in his Mothers shoulder.

This was going to be fun.


	3. No wine for toddlers!

It was Clint's turn to watch Ánleifr when the toddler began trying to escape his crib. After five hours of rest they had figured the child would behave, he would sleep through the night. Yeah all night my ass, Clint thought bitterly as the child screamed for his mother Laufey, who Thor had explained was dead by Loki's hand after Natasha suggested finding this Laufey and handing the child off to him.

Thor also refused to even entertain the idea of giving Ánleifr away, saying the child was still Loki and as such under his protection.

"If he's under your protection why am I babysitting?" Clint muttered sullenly under the toddlers wails.

Worse the kid didn't speak English, he spoke some language that was ancient and slow, to form his words the child spoke as if he had all the time in the world even when hysterical.

Sighing the archer stood up, if he had just put an arrow between Loki's eyes none of this would have happened. Damn Fury and his damn rules. Lets let the sorcerer live so we can question him, yeah he won't escape, he doesn't have magic or anything!

The mortal groaned and scooped up the child who's sobs turned slowly to soft whimpers and then weak sniffles.

"Are you done now?" Clint asked, knowing the baby couldn't understand him but more so wanting there to be no silence.

"Dam." The baby begged softly and Clint sighed again.  
That was the only word the baby knew that wasn't in his native tongue, or maybe it was the same in both tongues. 

Thor had helpfully informed them that Dam was what Jötunn called their mothers.

"Your Dam isn't here." Clint said and the baby whimpered again but rested his head on Clint's shoulder, the babies frosty breath made Clint shiver but he sat down in the rocking chair that one of the Agents - Clint suspected Agent Hill but Natasha kept saying it was probably Director Fury - had thoughtfully placed in the room.

Odin was working on a translation spell for the child but so far he was stuck on some phrasing or another. The toddler curled his small hands in Clint's hair at the nape of his neck and sighed softly as he drifted into sleep.

Clint's mind drifted back to when he'd been enslaved by Loki. The god had never touched him though he obviously desired something from him.   
Loki had come into his room one night though, his features contorted in fear and his hands twisting anxiously in his night shirt. For the first time the god had asked him for something, he hadn't commanded Clint, he'd asked if Clint would allow him to sleep in his bed.   
He wouldn't say why but Clint could guess that he'd had a nightmare or something similar, that and the fact that the god was desperate enough and courteous enough to ask is what made Clint lift his sheets in silent invitation.   
The trembling man had curled into his side the moment he'd gotten into the bed, his hands instinctively curling in the hair at the nape of Clint's neck as the babe in his arms did.

Clint pressed a gentle kiss to the babes pale head glad that Odin had been able to stop the boys skin from injuring everyone.

Clint closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.  
When Natasha comes in for her shift two hours later she finds Clint cuddling Ánleifr both fast asleep. The woman doesn't bother waking either simply goes back to her room leaving Clint with his charge until the morning.

~•~

The toddler glares scathingly at Bruce as the doctor tries to lift him from Clint's arms.

The child had screamed for his Dam for two hours before Odin had come to the baby to calm him down. After the two had spoken for many minutes Odin had left with a laugh to retrieve Clint. Apparently Ánleifr had decided Clint was to be his surrogate Dam in this strange world.

Now the toddler wouldn't leave Clint's lap where he'd been resting and watching Bambi, even though he couldn't understand it the animals fascinated him, well they did until Bruce had tried to take him to do a check up and possibly get some blood samples. It was shocking how similar Ánleifr's expression was to Loki's when he thought you were being a dumbass, or if you were someone he just didn't like.

Thor laughed as Ánleifr tried to bite Bruce when he reached for him.

"Be careful Friend, Jötunn have rather sharp teeth, more akin to a blade than to bone." Thor informed them happily as he sent Ánleifr a smile and Bruce stalked away, seemingly giving up for the time being.

The boy bared said pointed teeth at the god hatefully. Apparently whatever reality Ánleifr came from Thor was not a good person in his life. The child had hated Odin as well until he realized Odin was the only one who could understand him all the time, Thor could a little but he wasn't as well versed in the Jötunn tongue as Odin was. So the king of Asgard was grudgingly tolerated.

The toddler snuggled back into Clint with a content sigh then looked pleadingly at Clint and grabbed his belly.

"Dam." He whimpered and Clint sighed figuring correctly the child was hungry.

"What do you eat?" Clint murmured softly as he scooped the baby up.

Once he was standing Ánleifr crawled up his arm to sit on top of his shoulders with a soft giggle. He twined his small hands into Clint's hair in order to hold on and the mortal smiled slightly at the babies actions.

"Thor what should I feed him?" Clint asked as he walked towards the kitchen with the thunderer close on his heels.

"Primarily Jötunn are carnivores, though Loki has always preferred bread rolls and wine to the roasted boar my friends and I enjoy, perhaps it is because he has watched Volstagg eat for too long." Thor said speculatively.

"Well I imagine Ánleifr is too young for wine and he grew up in Jotunheim so meat it is." Clint said with a sigh and shake of his head.

He knew Loki's love of wine well enough, the god often had some around his underground base, rarely did he drink more than a glass of it but Clint knew he enjoyed the flavor and the texture of it in his mouth. 

He had actually asked Clint to come with him once to a winery he'd heard of, Clint had reminded him he was waging a war and should probably focus on that rather than wine. The god had deflated like a child told he couldn't have anything in a candy factory. But after that hadn't asked Clint to do anything with him outside of the battle, only the god would disappear at times and Clint had his suspicions on where exactly he went.

Clint lifted the boy and set him on the counter before turning to the fridge.

He opened it and scanned the contents. Processed meat, milk, eggs, bacon, soda, oddly enough - since Tony wouldn't drink wine - some red wine it had some fruity flavor that Clint knew Loki favored above all others, and some left over steak from two nights ago.

He grabs a piece of steak and offers it to the child cold.

Ánleifr's small face lights up in delight and he grabs the steak from Clint and begins ripping pieces off with his sharp teeth while holding it in both hands and watching Thor suspiciously as if afraid the older man would take his food.

"What do they drink?" Clint asked Thor, who was watching the boy in turn.  
"I do not know, probably water or whatever they can import to their realm from others." Thor said with a shrug as he glanced at Clint.

Clint opens the fridge again and grabs the milk which Thor quickly snatches from his hand.

"Do not ever give a Jötunn milk." Thor said seriously.  
"Why?" Clint couldn't help but ask as his friend looked at the babe out of the corner of his eye.  
Ánleifr was still happily munching on his steak on the counter.

"Only a Dam may feed milk to a Jötunn and it must come from her body, to give a Jötunn any other kind of milk is the gravest insult. Also it is rumored any milk but that of a Jötunn is poisonous to a babe." Thor murmured softly and Clint nodded and set down the milk.

"Okay, no milk." He agreed and then set the milk down.

"So it's wine or soda." Clint said with a sigh and Thor laughed and grabbed the wine.

"Thor that can't be good for him! He's a baby!" Clint objected.

"Ánleifr is simply small for a frost giant, he is still a child but not a baby, I would guess he's around sixty, to you he would be a very small five year old." Thor assured him and Clint looked at the child that looked to be no more than three years old who smiled at him happily around his steak.

"We can't give a baby wine Thor." Clint repeats and the thunderer sighs then beams happily.

"Can I have it?" He asked and Clint sighed and nodded.

"Yes Thor you may have the wine." The archer said with unending patience and the god grinned and left quickly taking a large swig of the wine as he sauntered from the kitchen.

When Clint looked back into the fridge a smile flitted across his face, for there on the shelf in the exact place of the first bottle of wine was a new one. Damn magic, Clint thought fondly.


	4. Sire, what great powers you have?

The trickster god stood in a circle of servants as they scrubbed at his blue skin and dressed him in furs softer than silk. Loki couldn't help but smirk as a Jötunn attendant stares at him in awe. He was beautiful and knew it, with his pale blue skin, striking black hair, something normal Jötunn did not have, and blood red eyes he was a horrifying beauty to look at.  
The god allowed them to dress him in a white fur loin cloth held together by a black band and slid gold bangles on to his wrists. A golden necklace is slid around his neck, it holds in its center a dark green Emerald that Loki takes great pleasure in. He is given a brown cloak lined with white fur which he pulls on quickly having felt far to bare in the clothing he'd been placed in.  
The trickster stares at himself in a large mirror and a rush of vain pride makes him smirk again. Oh how he'd missed being pampered as a prince ought be.  
"I wish to see my Dam king." Loki said in the Jötunn tongue.  
He'd learned the Jötunn language when he was young with Thor. But while Thor hardly paid attention during his studies Loki lived for them, because of this he could speak the language of each realm fluidly. Which was fortunate seeing as these Jötunn only spoke their native tongue.  
"His majesty has taken his consort off to their quarters and demanded no one disturb them." The head servant said regretfully with his head bowed fearfully.  
"I see, what of my brothers?" Loki asked and the servant was quaking in terror, Loki reveled in the Jötunn's fear of him.  
"Off to bed my lord." The servant whispered softly.  
The liesmith hummed noncommittally before grabbing the Jötunn roughly by his neck. Even though the Jötunn was almost twice his size it dropped to its knees as soon as he reached for it.  
"Get out." Loki snarled shoving the Jötunn servant away from him.  
Loki smiled widely as they scrambled to leave.  
"I should like to meet you Ánleifr, you who have inspired such fear in these great beasts that even an older version of 'you' is enough to have them trembling like children." Loki said with a laugh as he strolled around the extravagant rooms he'd been given. The Asgardian raised god stopped in the middle of his room and looked around curiously. For he'd not bothered to pay attention as he'd been rushed into his rooms and redressed after a long conversation with his mother concerning his 'imprisonment' in Asgard. His large bed was one fit for a king, it was made of ice - not that he was concerned, he'd slept on more uncomfortable things after his fall into the Abyss - and had several fur blankets and curiously enough a fur canopy. The furs were a dark black and soft as a newborn babe when he ran his fingers over them.  
With his unending thirst for knowledge Loki decided to ask what beast these furs came from next time he saw Laufey.  
The trickster threw open his wardrobe and laughed as he saw outfits near identical to the one he wore now only in different colors. The Frost Giants probably weren't smart enough to make anything but loin cloths, he thought with a sneer as he closed the wardrobe made of ice.  
He sighed and opened a dresser that contained only his jewelry, and oh... There are rather beautiful things in it. The young Jötunn lifts a silver head dress, it was crafted to shape his face and it would reach down to his chin much like his helmet did, in fact the sides were shaped exactly like his helmet. The trickster brings a hand up to trace the single emerald in the center of the head dress and smiled as he saw that the head dress came down in a V so that a piece of pointed silver would rest between his brows. Small diamonds are embedded along the edges of the head dress and it is much more magnificent than anything Loki has found in Asgard.  
Walking over to the mirror the head dress clutched in blue hands he looks at himself for a few moments. Slowly the young god raises the silver head dress and places it on his head. It gives him a sharp look, perhaps even a bit of an elven one.  
"It becomes you." A deep voice said and the princeling turns to find a large Frost Giant standing in the doorway.  
"Thank you." Loki said inclining his head respectfully.  
This Jötunn seemed to ooze power and Loki had never been a fool, he would not put himself on this Giants bad side.  
"You are not our Ánleifr." The Jötunn said as he entered the room.  
"I'm not?" The trickster asked carefully as the elder seated himself on the bed.  
"Do not play with me boy, I know my child, and I know that his Dam will realize the truth soon as well once his grief no longer blinds him." The giant rumbled and the father of lies leans against the wall across from his bed watching the elder.  
"So you are Farbauti?" Loki asked and he giant nodded confirmation.  
"I do not know what you are doing here child but I suggest you leave before Laufey figures out the lies you have told him." Farbauti said ominously.  
"Why do you warn me?" The younger asked his curiosity burning in him.  
"You can sense my power as I sense yours child, you know I have great gifts. I will not explain them to you, but I will tell you this; you are a form of Ánleifr you just are not our Ánleifr, that still makes you my son and I must protect my son though your Dam may not see it the same way." Loki's sire said calmly and the princeling nodded.  
He wasn't sure what to make of this Jötunn in front of him.  
"I will not leave until I have killed Thor, he wronged me too many times for me to forgive him." Loki said fiercely.  
"I see, so you seek revenge of one who does not know you as any more than barely an infant." Farbauti said and the tricksters eyes widen.  
"A babe?" He whispered in horror.  
"Yes, Ánleifr has just reached his fifty second year." Farbauti said warmly and the younger Jötunn slides down the wall he leaned against until he rested on the floor as horror dawned on him.  
If his suspicions were correct and he was on the wrong branch of Yggdrasil then he had sent another version of himself to Midgard. This other him, this Ánleifr, was just a child, would Thor punish him or care for him? Would Fury kill the child and prevent Loki from returning?  
"I may be able to return your Ánleifr to you, but first I want Thor dead and Asgard to fall." Loki replied his tone fierce.  
"I will conceal you my son, as long as I may." Farbauti said and stood to tower over the mischief maker.  
"Get rest, your mother has many plans for you." His giant sire said with a smirk that reminded Loki of himself.  
"May I know of these plans?" The liesmith pushed curiously.  
"That spoils half the fun." Farbauti said in reply before leaving the princelings rooms.  
The trickster god smirks and shakes his head, perhaps he could come to like his sire, even if he could never like Laufey.  
The young Jötunn lay on his bed and stare at the ceiling for a few moments before setting his head dress on a bedside table and laying back down. The tricksters eyes fall closed and he smiles as sleep claims him.  
Loki dreams of the glorious war to come, and the chaos that walked hand in hand with war, in his minds eye he sees women screaming and burning homes. Never has he had a dream so sweet.  
Thor would get what was coming to him, once Loki had murdered his entire family in front of him, finally the trickster would end Thor Odinson. And once he'd destroyed this Thor then Loki will return to kill the Thor of his reality in the same manner. Yes, never so sweet.


	5. Your wicked words

Fury had decided that with Ánleifr not being Loki he didn't want the Avengers on his Helicarrier causing trouble and that is why as Clint sits the baby on his bed he can see the Manhattan skyline. Truthfully he was glad to be off the Helicarrier and back in avengers tower, with no SHIELD agents trailing him and the toddler everywhere they went.  
Clint set Ánleifr on the bed and felt bright green eyes following him around the room. How odd it was that he looked just like Loki had as a child, well how Thor said he looked, Clint had no reference aside from his own imaginings. Clint opened a dresser that Natasha said held clothes that would fit the toddler who still wore a black fur loin cloth, and a silver cloak.  
He grabbed a large green night shirt similar to what he'd seen Loki wear to bed during his time under his control. The shirt even feels the same under his fingers.  
Clint can't help a smile as he remembers that time Loki had stormed from his room wearing only a night shirt his green eyes blazing, for he had to come break up a fight between two scientists at two in the morning. Clint had lead him back to bed afterwards for the god looked ready to collapse. He still recalled the gods words, they were both biting and yet oddly affectionate.  
He'd asked the god why he was so exhausted and Loki had scoffed softly.  
In his minds eye Clint remembers the god stopping to look at him as he leaned on the mortal a bit more than necessary.  
"I tell you this because I doubt you'll have the ability to use this knowledge Barton, hiding our base takes energy, energy I don't have great stores of. I fear I may drain myself if I am not careful." Loki had admitted quietly.  
"I'd protect you." Clint had foolishly volunteered and Loki had given him a kind if not patronising smile.  
"I'm sure you would." Was all he would say before allowing Clint to help him back into his bed.  
"Dam?" A small voice and smaller hands tugging on his arm bring him back to the here and now.  
"Come one lets get you ready for bed." Clint said with a smile and lifted the baby to set him on the bed again.  
Gently Clint untied the cloak around Ánleifr's neck and pulled it off.  
The baby allowed Clint to pull the shirt over his small head and guide his arms through the holes made for them. The baby sat on the bed in a loin cloth and night shirt and Clint laughed softly. Ánleifr looked adorably ridiculous in clothes that clashed so much together. Clint kissed his forehead and turned to grab a pair of shorts for the toddler.  
He pulled the loin cloth off and helped the babe into the black shorts and smiled at him affectionately. He was not looking forward to sending Ánleifr back to his rightful place, call him selfish but Clint was fond of the baby.  
The archer gathered the child up in his arms and sat in the wooden rocking chair. He slowly rocked them until the child fell asleep.  
"Wherever you are trickster, I hope you're safe." Clint said softly to the night.  
Sleep claimed the mortal quickly and he held the child close as he dreamt of green eyes and wicked smiles.

~•~

Ánleifr was known at home for his stealth and his magic. Put the two together and the child was a menace, albeit one adored by all of the kingdom. As a runt Ánleifr should have been killed at birth, but fortunately his sire could see possible futures and had urged Laufey to spare his life, he was now his Dams pride and joy. Which was why he must return to his Dam, even if he was rather found of the one he'd found here.  
The Jötunn toddler took one last look at the Dam he'd claimed and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before climbing out of his arms and hopping off the moving chair they'd fallen asleep in again. Ánleifr knew his Dam had a similar chair, he'd seen it when he held Helblindi in the nursery, though the chair like everything in Jotunheim was made of ice and it made loud angry noises when it was forced to move. The baby frowns as he remembers the ice, how he missed its gentle lullabies after a long day playing with his brothers. The toddler tears up as he recalls his brothers, how he missed them, they who were already much bigger than him yet still looked up to Ánleifr for council and guidance. Even if he was smaller than the two he was still their big brother and he prided himself on that.  
The boy scrambles to hide as the door opens and casts a soft illusion so whoever looked in would see him still sleeping in his Dams arms.   
The woman smiled fondly and walked over to kiss their heads. She frowned when her kiss went straight through Ánleifr's head. The little boy was already racing down the hallway by the time the woman realized what had happened, after all she'd seen enough of Loki's duplicates to recognize one when you touched it. That was the frustrating thing about duplicates, they were perfect until you touched them, so in a battle duplicates were a pain in the ass when you wanted to find the real Loki.  
"Clint wake up, Ánleifr is gone." Natasha hissed as the duplicate faded away having failed to serve its purpose.  
The archer came awake with a curse.  
Together the master Assassins raced out into the hallway in search of the baby.  
Ánleifr watched them race by a small smile on his lips as he hide in a shadowed corner, it was nice having magic that made people not want to look in a specific area.  
The toddler began to make his way back to where he first shown up, he knew that the best way to get home would be to go where the barriers were the weakest.  
The toddler knows that where he wants to go is up and that his teleporting skill was too unstable to get him there safely. The baby wouldn't trust the singing box if his Dam told him it was safe, but he had seen stairs, odd stairs that were made of some material that wasn't ice like most things in this world, but stairs nonetheless.  
The child opened the door to the stairs and smiled, they wouldn't look for him in here.  
He glanced up and groaned softly, that is a long way to go, he thinks sullenly.

~•~

After much climbing Ánleifr soon found himself in the room with the large hole in the floor. He could only assume the magical outburst from his sudden appearance had caused the large crater. The child crawled over and sat in the center of the crater.  
"Dam!" He wailed hoping he would take him home.  
After many moments of nothing tears began to slide down Ánleifr's pale cheeks. How he wished he could see his blue skin again, how he missed the feel of things freezing under his touch as they ought to. Why couldn't he make his room cold like it should be? His Dam had always told him Odin and his son were cruel but Ánleifr would never have guessed how cruel he was until now.  
"Dam!" He sobs out, the talking box opened and his claimed Dam rushed into the room.  
Ánleifr heard the creature babbling in its tongue and recognized his name in there several times among other things he couldn't understand.  
He shoved his claimed Dam away.  
"Dam!" He screamed a third time.  
His claimed Dam stepped away in pain.  
"Sire!" Ánleifr begged getting truly desperate, if his Dam wouldn't heed his calls surely his sire would, right?  
Or worse, had they given him to Odin to prevent a war, did they not love him anymore? Was he bad? Surely they couldn't trace the charming of Helblindi's skin to be orange back to him, could they?

"Is there nothing we can do for him?" Clint asked as he paced behind Ánleifr's sobbing form.  
"Clint we have to wait for Odin to get here, Thor has gone to get him. What doesn't make sense to me is why he returns to Asgard each night, wouldn't it be easier for everyone if he just stayed here in case stuff like this happened?" Natasha ranted as the bifrost deposited Thor and Odin onto the balcony.  
The king strode over to the sobbing frost giant immediately. He kneeled beside him and said a few soft words. Ánleifr looked at him and stopped crying. He nodded rapidly as the allfather kept speaking. Suddenly the boy beamed and raced over to Clint.  
He tugged on Clint's pant leg and the archer lifted him gently.  
"You okay now?" Clint asked and the baby giggled.  
"I understand you." Ánleifr whispered slowly into his ear.  
"You do, do you?" Clint asked shocked and pleased as the baby smiled.  
"Dam." He said pleasantly and leaned back only to stare at Clint seriously.  
"My Dam will like you for taking care of me, he won't even kill you for it." The baby said happily and Clint paled.  
"Oh that's very nice of him." Clint said through a dry mouth.  
"Yes." The baby agrees before snuggling back into Clint's arms.  
Soon the child had fallen into a deep sleep and Clint smiled at the baby's knack for falling asleep anywhere.  
"Thank you for caring for him Clint Barton." Odin said into the silence following the toddlers words.  
"It's no problem, I enjoy taking care of him." Clint said while brushing a strand of black hair off of his nose and smiling fondly at the baby.  
"I fear the chaos Loki will unleash on this other branch of Yggdrasil." Odin said gravely.  
"Surely there's nothing he can do, he'd be an outsider in Jotunheim. And one that looks like an Asgardian, by the way Ánleifr has treated me and originally you, I do not think they are fond of Asgard there." Thor objected but Odin shakes his head as if disappointed.  
"You under estimate your brother Thor." Odin scolded and the thunderer flushed with anger and shame at being reminded that Loki was more than he seemed.  
"But what about the language? Loki knows the Jötunn tongue as well as I!" Thor tried again and Odin sent him a withering glare.  
"Your brother was diligent in his studies, Loki is as versed in the Jötunn tongue as Ánleifr." Odin snapped and Thor seemed to lose the will to fight his father.  
Odin turned away from his son and eyed the sleeping baby, is this what Loki would have become had he not taken him from the temple so long ago, or had somehow else transpired? Was Loki never put in the temple on Ánleifr's branch? Would life have been better had he not saved Loki? The allfather cannot stop the unbidden thoughts and sighs sadly. Because as much as he loves Loki he has to admit that, yes things would have been better had Loki died so long ago.  
"It will not be much longer before I have found a spell to return the two to their rightful branches. Loki will be properly punished when he returns." Odin said forcefully.  
Thor nodded his head though he didn't look very happy with the notion, there was nothing any of them could say and so the allfather left to the balcony again. He disappeared through the bifrost.  
Clint tightened his hold on Ánleifr slightly, he would gladly keep this Loki over the other any day.  
"Take him back to bed Clint, he's had a long night." Natasha said and the archer nodded then hesitated.  
"Where is Tony and Steve? I've not seen them since Loki disappeared." Clint pointed out and Natasha nodded.  
"They went with Fury back to the Helicarrier, how didn't you notice?" Natasha asked surprised and the archer shrugged.  
"I must have been dealing with Ánleifr." Clint said easily and she nods looking unconvinced.  
"Go, both of you need sleep." Natasha said and Clint nodded and left careful to not wake his tiny charge.


	6. Garden of Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has commented and left Kudos I really really appreciate your support and your thoughts :) well here's another chapter from Jotunheim

The trickster walked among the ice garden Farbauti had shown him after breakfast had ended. Oddly enough his sire had left as soon as Loki had grown interested in the roses made of ice, the elder Jötunn claimed he had some business to attend to but wouldn't say what.  
Loki ran a hand along an icy tree and had the urge to add a vine on its trunk as he'd seen on Midgard. After a moments hesitation Loki did just that. The god smiled a soft private smile as he watched icy tendrils wrap around the trunk of the ice tree and small flowers spring up along the vine.  
"As beautiful as any you've made before my son." Laufey said from behind the trickster.  
Loki spun to face him and bowed formally.  
"Dam, how did you find your rest?" Loki asked politely.  
"You are my son, not an advisor, do not speak to me so formally." Laufey said with a displeased glance at Loki's formal stance.  
Hands clasped behind his back and head slightly bowed.  
"My apologies, simply habit." Loki excused with a small smile.  
"Yes, well a prince of Jotunheim bows to no one." Laufey said fiercely and the trickster nodded.  
"I only aim to please my Dam." He murmured and Laufey sighed but smiled nonetheless.  
"What do you make of the gardens?" His Dam asked as he ran a hand along a fragile flower's petal near him.  
"They are most beautiful, truly a work of great art." Loki said with a glance around he garden.  
Which was true, the garden was much more beautiful than any of the gardens he'd visited during his time on Midgard.  
"Dam I have a question for you." The trickster said suddenly surprising even himself.  
"Yes?" Laufey responded curiously.  
"When will we begin gathering troops?" The trickster asked tapping his fingers on his thigh in agitation for he knew Farbauti was right and Laufey would figure it out soon.   
"Your sire has already begun preparing, a Thane has already been sent out to Helthgranda to explain our plans there as well and gather an army." Laufey said and Loki nods surprised.  
So Helthgranda still stands in this world? Interesting.  
He would have to ask Farbauti if Jotunheim still had the casket also, could he take the casket with him back to his branch and have two caskets? Or allow Odin to have one and keep the other for himself in the realm between realms he was rather fond of storing things in.  
"Do you wish to lead an army?" Laufey asked and the trickster considered it briefly before shaking his head.  
The last time he lead an army things didn't end too well, as Loki's very presence on this branch testified.  
"No I'd rather Thor not know I'm coming for him." Loki said with a smirk.  
"When you just returned to me Ánleifr you called yourself prince Loki, why would you say such a thing as if it were common knowledge?" Laufey asked with suspicion.  
"For it is in Asgard in my age, remember Dam I come from the future, the king raises me his son and all the realms come to know me as such. Even if in reality I do naught but warm his child's bed." Loki repeated the story he'd told in he beginning.  
"Yes, I just wanted to double check is all." Laufey said and the trickster frowned as if not understanding.  
"Double check?" Loki repeated and Laufey nodded.  
"You do not feel like my Ánleifr." The Jötunn king said somewhat accusingly.  
"Yes but I am much older now than when you knew me." Loki said persuasively.  
"I thought time travel impossible?" Laufey said with renewed suspicion.  
"It is right now, a new power source will be uncovered sometime in the next eight centuries, it's secrets unlocked and given to Odin. He will carelessly leave such secrets about and that is how I get ahold of them." The Liesmith wove his tale expertly until Laufey nods with a smile.  
"He ever is a fool." Laufey said with soft affection that made the princeling decidedly uncomfortably.  
"Dam, I wish to see what plans have been drawn up if it is acceptable?" The Golding asked and Laufey nodded.  
"A servant will lead you there for I have some things to attend to, one of my Generals will explain our plans to you." Laufey said and Loki nodded with insincere gratitude, he'd hope to be alone to study the plans, but he could make due.

~•~

The servant serving as Loki's guide scrambled to open the doors for the impatient princeling. Loki strode in unannounced and stopped at the sight of a large Jötunn male. The giant, who Loki assumed to be the general Laufey had mentioned, didn't glance up from the plans he was going over.  
"If you've come to scold me again Gerd you're wasting your breath, His Majesty wants a war and I intend to win this one for him." The giant said still not looking up.  
"My apologies but I don't believe I am who you were expecting." The trickster said in his honey voice and the Jötunn looked up quickly.  
"Why are you in the war room child?" The Frost Giant demanded angrily and Loki bristled furiously at the term child.  
"I am no child, I am prince Ánleifr, son of Laufey and Farbauti." Loki snapped and he was distantly worried about the fact that saying that was so easy.  
"Oh, I'm sorry majesty I didn't think- well you're rather small." The man said unapologetically.  
"I'm pretty sure I could have you beheaded for that." The trickster said with a smirk as he shut the doors behind him and approached the elder Jötunn.  
"Probably, I'm Thyrm by the way." The elder introduced.  
"Ánleifr." The Liesmith said and Thyrm smiled a soft secretive smile.  
"You've grown remarkably fast Ánleifr, I could have sworn you were just a babe four days ago." The giant teased.  
Loki froze for a moment before giving a fluid shrug.  
"It is a long story." The younger said evenly.  
"I'm sure it is, how old are you?" Thyrm asked curiously and the Liesmith hesitated just a moment then smiled.  
"One thousand three hundred and seventy one." The god of mischief said with a smirk, living so long as The Lord of Chaos was no easy feat.  
"Hmm, not a child then." The giant agreed and Loki frowned.  
"Are you not supposed to answer in kind?" Loki demanded and the Jötunn smiled at him.  
"I'm older than you, that's all you need know." He replied and Loki bristled but forced himself to calm down, what did it matter to him how old a Frost Giant was? But no, that wasn't the point, the point was he'd given a part of himself to this giant, he'd given him a truth, and the beast couldn't return the favour. Fine, Loki would take from him, he would pay with a piece of himself for taking from a god!  
Outwardly the princeling smiled and gestured to the maps on the Jötunn's table. Fortunately the table was short enough the princeling didn't have to stand on a stool or anything, and wouldn't that had been humiliating.  
"What plans do you have so far?" The trickster asked as he approached the table.  
"Well these are maps of Asgard, and I'm trying to find an entry point where we won't be bottle necking our army and where we can get in quickly. That's proving difficult." Thyrm said with a sigh.  
Loki looked over the plans and smirked as he pointed to the west wall, he knew it as a week point, it wouldn't be able to stand against his magic if he hit it at the right spot, fortunately he knew exactly where that spot was. In fact Odin himself had shown it to Loki and Thor when they were children, he'd told them that the wall was a spot to be watched incase of an invasion, for an errant spell could send the otherwise sturdy wall crumbling. A flaw in the build he called, Loki saw it as a quick means of escape should Asgard ever fall and the citizens needed to flee in a hurry.  
"Ánleifr that wall is one of the sturdiest." Thyrm said dismissively.  
"No it's one of the weakest, you just have to know where to hit it." Loki said with a smirk.  
"And you know where?" The elder asked doubtfully.  
"Oh yes, I know exactly where to hit it, Asgard will be vulnerable to our forces." Loki said with a dark laugh.  
"What do you expect will happen when Laufey finds out that Ánleifr isn't in Asgard?" Thyrm asked and Loki glanced up at him for a moment then smirked.  
"Is everyone in Jotunheim so perceptive? Or there just a few of you who are special?" Loki mocked and Thyrm narrowed his eyes.  
"Asgard has wronged us, so we go along with our war and if we can bring down Odin that is wonderful. But Laufey will figure out your treachery once he is no longer blinded by a Dams grief." The elder Jötunn warned but the trickster laughed.  
"It won't matter, not once Thor is dead." Loki responded calmly.  
"I'll remind you of that once the battle is done." Thyrm sai cryptically but the Liesmith smirked again.  
"Once the battle is won." He corrected and the Jötunn shrugged.  
"Perhaps we will win, likely we will not, we shall have to wait and see." Thyrm replied and the trickster laughed before turning his attention to the ledger on the table.  
"How many troops do we have?" The younger asked and Thyrm leaned over him back to business.   
"Lord Cregán of Helgranda has five hundred troops at his disposal, the King has eight hundred stationed in the area around Utgard." Thyrm informed him and Loki drummed his fingers on the table, thirteen hundred troops were nothing to the might of Odin's twenty five hundred.  
"Is there any more we have access to?" Loki demanded in irritation.  
He wouldn't lose this war before it even began dammit!  
He was so close to finally killing Thor he could almost taste victory on his tongue and he wasn't going to have that taken from him because Laufey couldn't distract Odin's forces longer than three minutes with such a pathetic excuse of an army.  
"Not unless we bring Tuthergrin into our 'war' with Helgranda, and they only boast three hundred troops." Thyrm said and the trickster snarled angrily.  
"That's three hundred more than we have." Loki hissed and Thyrm sighed and nodded.  
"Those of Tuthergrin are not known for their loyalty." Thyrm warned.  
"They don't have to be loyal, they just have to fight." The princeling snapped as reply.  
"We should attack from two fronts, to divide their force." Thyrm said and Loki nodded absently.  
He could only hope the Odin of this branch didn't have more troops than the Odin of his branch did.  
"Try the southern gate, it's the weakest gate and if you bring a few large bears it should be easy to take down." The Aseir said with a wave of his hand as he made his way towards the door.  
"I must find Farbauti." The Liesmith said before the door slammed shut behind him.

~•~

Loki knocked on the door to his Sires' study and entered when Farbauti called out permission.  
"Sire I've come seeking your counsel." Loki said as he shut the door behind him.  
"Can your Dam not answer your questions? As is his right and privilege." Farbauti said meaningfully.  
"I fear it a question too trivial to bother my Honoured Dam with." The Liesmith responded charmingly.  
"What do you wish to know?" Farbauti asked and Loki approached him slowly.  
"I would like you to tell me about General Thyrm." The trickster said and Farbauti looked at him in surprise.  
"What about him?" He asked and Loki smiled and sat on a chair near his Sire.  
"Everything, how old is he, does he have family, where does he hail from?" The prince pressed curiously.  
"Why do you wish to know?" Farbauti asked suspiciously.  
"I fancy him." Loki stated though it was the farthest thing from the truth.  
Truthfully he wanted to know these things because Thyrm had taken from him, he was taking back though as is the nature of the God of Mischief.  
"There's not much to know about Thyrm, he keeps to himself mostly. He's been one of Laufey's chief Generals for the last four hundred years, he is three thousand six hundred eighty one years old, he hails from Tuthergrin, and all of his family are dead, his mate and body child killed during the Great War." Farbauti said with a shrug as if to say that is all I know.  
"Body child?" Loki pressed and Farbauti smiled.  
"I forget you do not know our ways, Halvager was the child of Thyrm's body, Thyrm was a Dam." Farbauti said mournfully.  
Loki's thoughts went to his own children and rage washed through him, if anyone touched a hair on Slepnir or Fenrir or any of the others he'd go insane with rage. Well actually he had, he had tried to kill Tyr when informed of what they'd done to his dear Fenrir, chaining him up all alone, it still infuriated him especially because Odin had forbidden him from visiting his child.  
"Yes I know his pain." Loki murmured softly and Farbauti glanced at the young princeling curiously.  
"You have children of your own?" His sire asked and the trickster nodded.  
"Yes six, five boys and a girl." Loki said with a fond smile.  
"I would enjoy meeting them." Farbauti said softly.  
The Prince sent his Sire a small smile but otherwise didn't reply.  
"I think I have much to think about, good day sire." Loki said and bowed formally and with a small nod from Farbauti he left back to his quarters.  
Yes he had much to think about, such as how best to use the knowledge he'd gained from Farbauti.


	7. Frosty and Legolas

Ánleifr followed Clint into the living room his sharp green eyes watching everyone curiously. Now that he could understand them the toddler seemed interested in everything, he wanted Clint to explain anything that looked to be of any interest.  
When trying to explain his Stark phone Clint had mentioned the Internet which he then had to explain to the far too curious child. The archer had learned to be more careful with what he said after that.  
Tony thought it was hilarious once he returned from his 'boring-ass waste of time SHIELD complain fest' as he'd dubbed the meeting with Fury and the council. Steve had smacked his boyfriend over the head for his disrespect but he was willing to admit it was a waste of time and that the council just seemed intent on repeating themselves for over three hours.  
Ánleifr was still suspicious of everyone that wasn't Clint though he'd seemed rather fond of Tony once finding out that Tony had invented Jarvis. In fact he'd gone so far as to say he'd talk to his Dam about sparing Tony as well as Clint, possibly Steve since Tony seemed rather taken with him.  
The child at times was so similar to Loki it made Clint do a double take and at others so dissimilar that Clint could hardly believe they were essentially the same person just raised differently.  
"Fury wants to come and check on Ánleifr today." Steve informed him from his position on the couch beside Tony who was groggily sipping at his coffee cup.  
"Dam why does he want to check on me?" The toddler asked softly and Clint glanced down and smiled reassuringly.  
"We're looking for a very bad man Ánleifr, and we can't send you home until we've caught him, Director Fury just wants to make sure you aren't this bad man in disguise because he has magic like you do." Clint said with a smile, and technically it wasn't a lie just it wasn't the truth either.  
Clint can almost hear Loki's mocking whisper in his ear.  
"A lie of omission is still a lie Agent Barton, I should know." Clint grits his teeth and forces the smile to stay on his lips.  
Stay out of my head you smug bastard, Clint growls silently even though he knows his connection with Loki had been severed completely after Natasha hit him, twice.  
He knows how Loki would respond, something mocking and yet blatantly obvious, perhaps along the lines of we both know I'm not in your mind Agent Barton, perhaps you should have that good doctor of yours check your head for you, Agent Romanova might have done more than dislodge our connection when she beat you in combat.  
Clint almost laughs at the not-Loki in his mind. Yeah he probably should talk to Bruce about this, oh well, perhaps he had PTSD after all, anyone would believe living with Loki in your head was stressful and scarring.  
Except it wasn't that bad, a little voice said in his mind. Shut up little voice! Just not right now! Clint snapped at himself and almost laughed at the absurdity of this except maybe he wanted to cry and there was a small hand tugging on his pant leg and he had a child to take care of right now.  
"Yes Ánleifr?" He asked softly and the child looked at him a moment before hugging his leg tightly.  
"You went away, just like my Sire does. Far away, please don't leave me." The child whimpered and Clint kneeled to hug him.  
Ánleifr buried his face in Clint's neck and the man sighed, he wanted Loki back if only so he could wring his neck for upsetting this littles ones life.  
"I won't leave you." He promised even though it was a blatant lie, the child would be sent back to his reality and Loki would be returned and Clint would never see the boy again. But he could play the protector for now and he could defend the child from thoughts of loneliness until they could return him home.  
He held Ánleifr until the toddler became convinced he wasn't going to 'leave' again.  
"If I go anywhere again I'll take you with me." Clint promised with a smile and the boy smiled uncertainly and brought a small hand up to tug gently on Clint's hair causing the archer to smile wider.  
"Who is Director Fury?" Ánleifr pushed and Clint sighed and stood offering the toddler his hand.  
The boy pursed his lips with distaste but took his hand.  
"Would you rather I carry you?" Clint asked and the little boy avoided his eyes and shrugged.  
"Well your legs are much longer." He answered with such a roundabout yes that Clint almost wanted to do a Loki under his bed check like Fury was coming to do, rather he just lifted the small child and walked over to the arm chair across from the leather couch the unlikely couple had claimed as their own.  
It still amused Clint, goody two shoes Steve Rogers and playboy Tony Stark, well opposites attract and all.  
Ánleifr sat on the arm rest and watched Clint with curious green eyes.  
"Director Fury is basically our boss, and he is the most devoted to finding bad men like the one we are looking for." Clint said and Ánleifr frowned slightly.  
"Do I know this bad man? And why won't you say his name?" The boy demanded and Clint sighed.  
"I- you may know him, his name is Loki Laufeyson." Clint said and the little boy looked horribly confused.  
"I have no brothers named Loki." The child said softly and Clint forced a smile.  
"Perhaps he is the son of a different Laufey." The archer and the toddler nodded but had a thoughtful look on his face that was just far to similar to Loki's scheming look for anyone's comfort.  
Thankfully Fury took that moment to make his entrance. The elevator door dinged open and Fury as well as Agent Hill walked in and Ánleifr watched them intently.  
"Has he been behaving?" Fury demanded and Clint watched as the boy tensed.  
What he must think we said about him before he understood us, way to go Fury, Clint thinks with protective anger.  
"Ánleifr isn't a dog Fury, but in answer to your question yes Ánleifr is very polite." Clint said with barely suppressed anger.  
"Woof." The toddler replied mockingly and Clint sighed, damn Tony and introducing Ánleifr to the Internet and the animals of earth.  
"You were saying?" Fury said with his lips pressed in a tight line.  
"You offended him." Clint said with a weak shrug.  
"My apologies for offending a notorious criminal." Fury sneered angrily and Ánleifr went rigid.  
"We've told you Fury, Ánleifr is not Loki, he didn't shape shift into a child." Clint said and the child relaxed remembering Clint's words, 'the bad man has magic'.  
"Dam, why does that man have an eyepatch like King Odin? Did my Dam stab his eye out too?" The child asked with obvious excitement.  
"No he didn't, Director Fury lost his eye by... How did you lose your eye?" Clint asked curiously and the man sent Clint his one eyed glare.  
"I was in a war and a grenade damaged my eye." He said with a darker glare as the little boy frowned.  
"I'd like to get our tests underway." Fury said and Clint shrugged and stood up, he opened his arms and Ánleifr crawled into Clint's hold happily.  
"We'd like to see the boy without you Agent Barton." Fury said but Clint shook his head quickly.  
"No can do sir, Ánleifr is my charge and I've promised Odin and Thor that I would protect him." Clint said and suddenly wondered where Thor was.  
Small hands curl into the hair at the nape of his neck and he knows he's not going to let them take the child even if he had to kill a few agents to prevent it.  
"Where to Director?" Clint asked in a neutral tone that could turn friendly or threatening all depending on how Fury answered.  
"Down to the lab on floor fifty-one." Fury answered with evident disapproval that was ignored by the archer.  
"We're coming too." Tony said and Clint raised an eyebrow and Fury sighed.  
Ánleifr absolutely refused to ride in the elevator so Clint sighed and opted to carry him down twenty eight flights of stairs in order to prevent the boy from having to ride in the 'singing box' as he called it.

~•~

Ánleifr buried his face in Clint's shoulder with a muffled son as the doctor drew his blood. The child clearly didn't like what was going on and was clinging to his Claimed Dam hoping it would all be over soon.  
"That's enough." Clint said his voice angry and fierce enough that the doctor stopped taking the blood and stepped away.  
"Yes of course, my apologies Agent Barton." The man said and his words left a bitter taste in his mouth.  
Clint had been known as Hawkeye around any SHIELD headquarters he'd been in, few people anymore called him Agent Barton, unless they were angry with him - which in his defence Fury seemed to always be angry at everybody- yet it had been Loki's favourite way of addressing him. Perhaps it was because he enjoyed watching Clint cringe when he called him it or perhaps he enjoyed watching Clint stop cringing when Loki called him Agent Barton. The archer sighed, he doubted he'd ever understand the mischievous God.  
Clint came back to himself to see Ánleifr suspiciously examining a small wolf stuffed animal.  
"Thank you." The boy finally said and Clint looked up to see Agent Maria Hill standing above him and Ánleifr. Obviously she'd given him the toy and wanted to say something.  
"I just wanted to congratulate you, I never was so well behaved when getting shots or my blood drawn as a little girl, so my mom used to bring my stuffed dog scruffy. I figured you'd want someone to hold also." She said with a smile and nodded to Clint in a friendly manner when she noticed him watching her.  
"I like her, do I get to name her?" Ánleifr asked curiously and Hill nodded quickly.  
"I want to name her Maria, for the nice lady who gave her to me." The little boy said charmingly and Clint had to give him a ten on performance there, never had the archer seen the normally stoic woman look so pleased.  
"Thank you Ánleifr, it is a great honour." Hill said with a huge smile.  
The little boy beamed at her and she nodded at Clint again before leaving as Fury called her over to him.  
"You okay?" Clint asked him softly and brushed strands of black hair off the boys forehead in a loving gesture as green eyes regarded him calmly.  
"I want to go home now." Ánleifr whispered and Clint hugged him.  
"Once we catch the bad man you can return home." The archer assured him gently.  
"No, I mean home." The child insisted and Clint couldn't stop his smile anymore than he could resist hugging the child again.  
"Yeah, we can go home now." Clint said and stood and held Ánleifr tightly to his chest.  
"Where are you going Barton?" Fury demanded and Clint smiled.  
"Home." He said simply.

~•~

The archer was amused to watch Thor sitting on the floor with Ánleifr talking to the little boy about the stuffed wolf Hill had given him.  
"Because Maria gave her to me." The Jötunn child informed Thor with a sigh.   
"Should she not have her own name?" Thor pushed curiously and Ánleifr sighed.  
"She does have a name, and it's her own name, I just named her after Maria." The child said with more patience than Clint would have been able to muster up, after all they'd been having essentially the same conversation for over thirty minutes.  
"Oh, how old is she?" Thor asked and Clint stifled a laugh by biting into his fist.  
The boy sent Thor a dry look before smirking slightly.  
"Why don't you ask her?" The toddler suggested and held up his stuffed dog for Thor to speak to.  
"Well okay, uh how old are you Maria?" The thunderer asked the dog and Clint almost lost his self control at the image of Thor sitting cross legged on the living room floor talking to a stuffed dog.  
"No, she doesn't speak english, you have to ask her in her language like you did me before King Odin put his spell on me." The child said with a wide grin.  
"You mean I have to bark at her?" Thor asked blankly and the little boy nodded happily.  
"Oh, okay." The golden haired Asgardian said and shrugged before proceeding to bark his question at the stuffed dog in Ánleifr's hands.  
The archer couldn't contain his laughter and tried to muffle it in his hands as he clamped them over his mouth. If Ánleifr's smile was anything to go by, he'd failed at muffling the sound.  
"Why is point break barking at a stuffed animal?" Tony asked from the doorway, the man had been in the kitchen and after hearing barking had come to investigate.  
In his hands the genius held a donut and in the other a lollipop.  
"I brought it for Ánleifr." The playboy defended when his archer friend raised an eyebrow at it.  
"Do we have to keep calling him that?" Tony demanded and Clint sent him a disbelieving look.  
"That's his name Tony, that is typically what people call one another." Hawkeye said slowly but Tony only shrugged.  
"I mean a nickname, because if you haven't noticed the kids name is hard to say. Here I'll give him one." Tony 'selflessly' volunteered.  
"No that's quite alright, I can manage." Clint said instantly and Tony raised an eyebrow at him.  
"Getting a bit possessive of our resident toddler are we? My what will the tabloids say?" The genius mocked and Clint made a disgusted face, because just eew, Ánleifr was a baby after all.  
"That's nasty Stark, and if you haven't noticed your nicknames suck." Clint said with a glare.  
"They do not! Give me one example of a bad one!" Tony demanded and the archer sent him a dry glare.  
"Reindeer Games." He replied immediately.  
"That was clever, Legolas." The genius said with a glare and then sauntered over to where Thor and Ánleifr were sitting.  
Clint looked back at the two to find ... Thor on his back purring? What the hell?  
"Hey Frosty, I got you something." Tony said while holding out the lollipop to Ánleifr.  
Clint was deeply satisfied when the boy glanced at him for approval before taking the lollipop when the archer gave him a slight nod.  
"Frosty? That was just lazy on your part." Clint said with a smirk and Tony glared at him before smirking.  
"Well I'll just return to my bed where my boyfriend is waiting for me, it's rather nice returning to your man on a cold day isn't it Clint?" Tony sneered and Hawkeye raised an eyebrow.  
"It's ninety one degrees out Tony." Clint points out.  
"You be quiet!" The billionaire hissed before stalking from the room donut clenched tightly in his hand, the archer laughed softly.  
"Dam, what is this?" Ánleifr asked as he crawled on to the couch beside Clint.  
"It's candy, here I'll help you." As Clint began to open the wrapper for the boy he realised it was a tootsie pop and smiled as his mind rushed back to the old commercials for the lollipops. Oh that owl, he thinks with a fond smile.  
"What do I do with it?" The child asked as Clint handed him back the red treat.  
"You suck on it." The archer said evenly and the little boy popped the candy into his mouth.  
For a while all was silent as they waited for the child's verdict.  
"It's good." He said after several long moments.  
"Huzzah candy for all!" Thor boomed happily.  
"No Thor-" But the over excited Asgardian was already racing away to find more candy.  
"He's a fool, isn't he?" Ánleifr observed with a smile.  
"Yeah, but we adore him." Clint said with a matching smile.  
"I adore you Dam." The boy whispered and hugged Clint tightly before climbing off the couch to fetch Maria off the floor where he'd left her.  
The archer could not prevent the smile from stretching across his face anymore than he could will his heart to stop beating.


	8. War baby

The trickster paced the war room as the Generals argued and Laufey watched with Farbauti sitting at his side at the front of the room.  
This is getting us nowhere, if they don't settle this dispute we will never make it to Asgard, Loki seethed as he paced.  
the trickster hadn't bothered paying attention to the argument. If you could even call it that, for it wasn't a proper argument, there were no heated words or finely veiled threats, but they were explaining why they were upset to each other! Where they in a therapy session or something or had Loki just missed the kid friendly how to argument class?  
The raven haired Jötunn stopped his pacing and began to listen as Thyrm spoke.  
"I know you wish to accompany us my friend, but do you really wish to endanger your body child?" Thyrm murmured and Loki sighed.  
So that's what they were arguing about.  
"Grid please listen to Thyrm, he speaks truth, would you sacrifice our firstborn?" Another giant asked desperately.  
Loki frowned as he found out who exactly this Giant was. Grid, she had thwarted one of his plans when she gave to Thor her magical staff, belt, and iron gloves, even though the trickster knew she'd done no such thing on this branch of Yggdrasil he couldn't prevent the bitter taste in his mouth as she was being convinced out of battle.  
"Are you a warrior Grid?" Loki asked suddenly and silence fell over the room.  
"Yes." The giant replied and turned to face the Liesmith.  
Loki was almost surprised at how masculine the Jötunn still managed to look while carrying a child, he'd have to remember to think of them as males rather than females even when they were with child. The fact that Jötunn were not unisex was troublesome to recall especially because most chose to be identified as male.  
"Why then should you be forced to stay home hidden away like an infant, I doubt you will be the only pregnant one among our troops." The Liesmith pointed out with a neutral smile.  
"Exactly! I will march with you." Grid said fiercely and only his years of practice prevented a gleeful smile from spreading across the tricksters face.  
"Well if that is settled, then when do we march?" Loki pressed and looked to Laufey.  
"Tomorrow morning." He answered promptly.  
Even though Loki was eager for a war he was surprised. Didn't these things take time? What about supplies?  
"We are prepared?" Loki asked and Farbauti laughed without humour.  
"We have been prepared since the end of the Great War, our troops have been waiting for us to sound the call to arms for some time. Tomorrow my son, we go to war." Farbauti said with a gleam in his eye that made Loki smirk.  
They didn't have to win tomorrow, all the Jötunn army had to do was distract the Aseir army long enough for Loki to kill Thor at the very least, though he would like to kill Odin and Sif as well. He knew how Thor adored those two, but never would he raise a hand to Frigga, she who raised him when she didn't have to. She who took him in not for political reasons but because he was a helpless babe.  
"I promise you, we will have glory tomorrow, we will have Aseir blood on our blades! And this time tomorrow we will be feasting in the golden halls of Asgard!" Loki cried and the assemble Jötunn cheered.  
Odin will pay, Thor will pay! Loki thinks gleefully with a wicked smirk on his lips.

~•~

The trickster sits between Thyrm and Farbauti at the dinner table as eager tongues wag about the coming battle, Asgard was horribly unprepared, Asgard would burn! Loki is not immune to the soldiers excitement and finds himself tapping the table anxious to be off to battle. The young Jötunn already knew the part he would play in the battle but he found he longed to be among the soldiers slashing at vulnerable Aseir throats and under bellies.  
"Why would you encourage Grid to join the battle? His mate is devestated." Thyrm said beside the trickster and red eyes glanced up to meet red.  
"We need all the soldiers we can get." Loki answered carefully.  
"If he dies, I will hold you personally responsible interloper." Thyrm hissed threateningly.  
"You may hold me personally responsible for every death should we lose." The Liesmith replied evenly.  
"You'll regret that should we lose." The other said before turning away to speak with the soldier on his right.  
"I admit I'm curious as to why you actually convinced Grid to join the battle." Farbauti said on Loki's left.  
"The Grid on my branch wronged me once, I intend to return the favour." The trickster said slyly.  
"Hmm." Was all his Sire would say on the subject.  
Loki glanced up at the head of the table where Laufey was engaged in conversation with Grid and his mate.  
Normally Loki and Farbauti would be sitting beside Laufey but tonight everyone sat where they wanted to so that friends could enjoy a last meal together and increase each others morale.  
"Where are Helblindi and Býleistr?" The trickster asked just realising the absence of his two young brothers.  
"Your Dam sent them away after you proposed war, should we lose he wants them safely hidden away until the time comes that they can take over Jotuneim as her rightful rulers." Farbauti said with pursed lips, clearly he didn't like the idea of his children being left to flounder without guidance.  
"We will win." Loki assured him not really caring if it were true or not.  
"Don't lie to me boy, you don't believe that anymore than I do." Farbauti said with a glare and the Liesmith shrugged.  
"It doesn't matter what I believe." Loki replied softly.  
Farbauti doesn't respond, just turns back to his dinner and the trickster did the same with a soft sigh.  
Tomorrow he would finally beat Thor, finally Odin would see him, even if this wasn't the right branch, Odin would notice him.  
The trickster glances at Laufey again, no matter the price he would make Odin see him, even if he had to fight Laufey off when the Jötunn realised he'd been lied to and tricked into going into war.  
Loki smirks as he considers what the Jötunn king would do if he survived the coming battle. This entire battle just became more interesting, Loki thinks as he considers the consequences of failure and of success.

~•~

The morning comes far too quickly for Loki's anxious body had not been able to rest. He dresses in a black loin cloth and silver cloak. After a moments hesitation the trickster also grabs the silver head dress he'd been so fond of his first night on Jotunheim. He places it on his head and looks in the mirror.  
Loki looked princely but not terrifying, good. They wouldn't expect him to he dangerous then, Thor was far too easy to trick and Loki would use that to his advantage.  
The Liesmith gathered his composer and headed out to the war room. The Jötunn in the room all wore a warriors garb and looked at Loki in surprise as he was dressed more fittingly for a ball than a war.  
"My son that is your armour?" Laufey asked surprised.  
"Oh no, but I will let Thor think it is until its too late." Loki answered with a smirk.  
Laufey only smiled and nodded and gestured for Loki to approach him. The trickster walked over to his Dam and Sire and bowed respectfully.  
"We will find victory today." Loki said looking Farbauti directly in the eye.  
"Even if we lose, we will find victory today, we will have caught the Asardians unaware, breached their city, and reminded them we are a threat and not to be ignored." The Liesmith wove his words around any nearby until they were all trapped in his web. All but Farbauti, he seemed to see through Loki as if the Trickster were not a master liar, were not the father of lies.  
"To victory!" A general cheered and several echoing cries went up around the room.  
Holding Farbauti's eye Loki raised his own arm and joined the cry.


	9. Lollipops, nerds, and alcohol - No Tony!

Ánleifr was eating his fifth lollipop when Thor rushed into the room with Odin on his heels.  
"I have found a spell to bring us to your branch of Yggdrasil Ánleifr, you may go home child." Odin said with a smile at the little boy.  
The child looks at Clint hesitantly then smiled sadly at Odin.  
"I am eager to return to my Dam-King." The child said without a hint of excitement in his soft voice.  
"I will leave you two alone, when you are ready I shall be waiting for you in the kitchen." Odin said softly seeing Clint's tensed form and the slight trembling in Ánleifr's little body.  
The archer nodded thankfully and the King left them alone as he'd promised.  
As soon as Thor and Odin were gone Ánleifr launched himself into Clint's arms. The mortal held the little boy gently with one arm and stroked his soft black hair with the other.  
"Dam." The child sobbed into his shoulder as his tiny hands wrapped in the hair at the nape of Clint's neck, it was odd how that had become comforting to both of them. How he would miss the child, especially when faces with Loki's hostility or cold indifference.  
Clint held him tightly, his throat had closed up and he knew he couldn't speak if he tried. Not properly at least.  
"I don't want I leave you." Ánleifr pleaded and Clint close his eyes against tears of his own.  
"I'll never leave you honey, I'll always be here, in your heart." Clint whispered around the lump in his throat as he gently moved a hand to rest over the child's heart.  
Ánleifr free'd a hand from his hair to clutch Clint's own and pulled it up to his shoulder to better hold it.  
"C-can you take care of Maria for me?" The boy asked through his tears as he leaned back to look at his Claimed Dam.  
"Don't you want to take her?" Clint asked and the child nodded.  
"I don't want you to forget me though." The little boy admitted and Clint pulled him into another hug.  
"Never, I could never forget you." The mortal replied fiercely.  
Ánleifr buried his face in Clint's neck and after a long while his tears stopped coming, Clint held him as long as he could, he didn't want to send the baby back to his reality. Couldn't they leave Loki there, they wouldn't have to deal with him then. But even as Clint thought this he knew how selfish it was, the child needed to be returned to his proper place and to his parents. It would be unfair to force the immortal child to watch everyone he loved grow old and die.  
"Be nice to Loki, I think he's just sad." The little boy said suddenly and Clint looked at him surprised as Ánleifr leaned back again to look at Clint.  
"Why would you say that?" The archer asked softly and the child smiled innocently.  
"Why would he take my Dam and Sire unless he wanted someone to take care of him for awhile? Someone to love him. My Dam is very good at loving my brothers and I, and my Sire is very wise." Ánleifr replied proudly.  
"Maybe you're right Ánleifr, I'll take care of him for you." Clint promised and pressed a paternal kiss to his forehead.  
"Are you ready to do this?" Clint asked and the little boy nodded.  
"Will you come with me to take me home?" Ánleifr asked and Clint nodded with a smile.  
"Come lets go tell Odin we're ready." Clint suggested and gently set the boy on be floor before standing and offering his hand.  
Ánleifr frowned and held up his arms and Clint laughed and scooped up the little boy.  
As they walked towards the kitchen Clint snagged a pillowcase that had been sitting on a pile of clean sheets Pepper had set down before rushing out cursing about some meeting she had to go to, and snapping at Tony that he needed to get ready and meet her there - which everyone knew he wouldn't do.  
"Why do you need that?" Ánleifr asked curiously and Clint smiled.  
"Lets take some of Tonys candy stash." He suggested and Ánleifr beamed as they turned away from the kitchen and towards one of the bedrooms no one used, it's where everyone knew Tony stashed candy, even Thor had learned early on where Tony's stash was. He would also wake the others and allow them to say goodbye to the toddler that even Natasha would send fond smiles to when she thought no one was looking.

~•~

Bruce, Natasha, Tony, Steve, and Clint were sitting on the bed in the spare bedroom watching Ánleifr fill his pillow case gleefully. Tony had told him he could take all the candy he wanted but he said he would only fill the pillowcase his Dam had gotten for him, the child seemed rather fond of lollipops. Well tootsie pops but still, Clint blamed Tony, Dum Dum's were the best.  
"He certainly grows on you a lot faster than Loki." Bruce said with a sigh, his comment was met with a couple sounds of agreement and Clint's sad smile.  
"I mean we've had him what five days?" Bruce asked and Clint shrugged.  
"I've lost count, not long enough though." He whispered softly and Natasha hugged him gently.  
He had to refrain from pushing her away, he loved Natasha, she was his best friend and was once his lover, but he didn't want her gentle restrained hugs. He wanted little arms and giggles forever, sticky hands and a stuffed dog making Thor bark and purr. He wanted Ánleifr to stay and he couldn't keep him, not with a clear conscience, not with knowing he had two parents out there who were missing him horribly and probably being manipulated by the god of mischief this very instant.  
"He'll be happy at home again, with his family." Natasha murmured in his ear and Clint wanted to lash out at her.  
I'm his Dam, I am his family! He wants to scream but he holds his tongue, because he doesn't think he'll let Ánleifr leave if he loses control now, no he'll lose control tonight once he's sobbing in an empty rocking chair alone.  
"Dam what are these?" Ánleifr asks holding up a box of nerds.  
Clint stood and walked over to sit by the little boy beside the cupboard storing all the candy.  
"Those are fantastic colourful boxes of deliciousness." Clint said and gently showed Ánleifr how to open the box.  
"Here cup your hand." Clint murmured and the boy did as told and Clint poured some nerds into his hand.  
The child studied one for a moment before popping it into his mouth. He smiled and threw all of them into his mouth and began sucking on them. Clint laugh and poured some into his own hand and also threw them into his mouth. Ánleifr giggled around his nerds as Clint smiled as well, couldn't they have a day more?  
"I want those too." Ánleifr decides and searches the stash, which was now suspiciously free of lollipops of any kind, and starts snagging all the boxes of nerds he can find.  
Clint wonders how much Laufey will hate him when he has a sugar high Ánleifr running about. Though truly Tony was the one to blame, after all he gave the little boy a tootsie pop and so he started all this.  
Clint glances over at his teammates and friends and sees them watching the pair with sad smiles and wistful looks. Who wouldn't rather keep this happy child over the Liesmith they were trading him for?  
Bruce stood and walked over to sit by Ánleifr.  
"You should try these, they are my favourite." Bruce said with a soft smile as he handed the little boy a Nerd Rope, he demonstrated how to open it and then told Ánleifr to just bite into it.  
The little boys face lit up in a huge smile and he took another bite before offering some to Bruce. The doctor smiled and took a small bite of the candy probably more so not to offend the child than actual desire for the candy.  
The nerds Clint had eaten felt like a weight in his stomach.  
Natasha was the next to join them on the floor and gave to Ánleifr a Hershey's bar, Tony made some smart-ass remark about her being a women so of course chocolate would be her favourite, he earned a pillow in the face for his troubles.  
Steve brought a Twinkie with him and blushed when Clint laughed softly, of course Steve would bring a Twinkie.  
"I used to eat them as a kid." He defended softly and Clint got a punch from Tony for embarrassing his boyfriend.  
Tony wasn't allowed to give Ánleifr anything after trying to give him some chocolates filled with liquor. He claimed innocently that he too used to eat them as a kid, earning a smack himself from his boyfriend.  
Ánleifr thought the entire spectacle hilarious and slipped a couple of Tonys candies into his bag when no one was looking, he wouldn't eat them because his Dam said they were bad, but he wanted something from everyone. Maybe he'd put them on his dresser like a prize.

~•~

Clint and Ánleifr finally entered the kitchen a half hour after Odin left them with a pillowcase overflowing with Candy for the little boy to take back to Jotunheim with him an the rest of the avengers team hot on heir heels. Both Clint and Ánleifr's eyes were red from tears but they were smiling and Ánleifr had Maria clutched closely to his chest.  
"Can my Dam come with to return me home?" The little boy asked Odin who after a moments hesitation nodded and smiled, he would allow the two this small comfort.  
"You will like my Dam-King, he is very kind." The child told Odin with another sad smile of his.  
Clint hugged Ánleifr tightly to his chest again seeing as he was still holding the little boy.  
Ánleifr's hand that wasn't holding Maria wrapped in Clint's hair and he sent the little boy a reassuring smile. Things would be okay now, he'd be safe at home again, that thought wasn't very reassuring to the archer though.  
Odin began speaking in an old tongue while cutting the air with a long sword. His hand didn't tremble with the sword but the hand holding the book in which the spell was did. Was it old age or worry for his youngest son?  
Clint gasped in shock when Odin finished in a yell and where he'd been cutting with the sword there was now a frozen castle visible.  
After everything perhaps it was a bit anticlimactic, but Clint didn't think he could handle too much excitement right now.  
"Alright, you have Maria right?" Clint asked wanting to break the silence, he knew Ánleifr had her.  
"Yes Dam." The boy responded with a soft laugh.  
"Good, are we ready?" He asked Odin.  
No! No we aren't ready! Clint wants to scream but keeps a pleasant smile on his face, he could do this, he would be strong for Ánleifr.  
"I'll miss you Frosty." Tony calls and Ánleifr waves at them over Clint's shoulder and the archer can feel tears landing on his neck and shoulder but he doesn't say anything because maybe there's tears sliding down his cheeks too.  
"Take care little guy." Bruce said next and Natasha walked over and kissed the boys head before pressing an elaborately carved Russian nesting doll set into the child's hands.  
"Remember us kiddo." She murmured before stepping away again.  
Ánleifr looked at the gift in awe and beamed at her.  
"Be good buddy." Steve said awkwardly but it was heartfelt and Clint knew the soldier was hurting just as much as the rest of them.  
"I will be, keep Tony in line Jarvis." The little boy said and the AI seemed amused when he responded.  
"Carefully noted little master." Jarvis replied and Ánleifr beamed.  
"I am ready." He whispered to Clint and the archer nodded at Odin.  
Thor stepped through first with Mjölnir held firmly in his hands. Clint followed with Ánleifr held tightly in his arms. The distortion was uncomfortable and made Clint want to wretch but he held Ánleifr gently and even though his knees were weak when he 'landed' in Ánleifr's reality he stood firm.  
Odin follows next and a couple servants and guards stood frozen horror clear on their faces.  
"Hyndla!" Ánleifr cries joyfully and a giant who looked like a scribe seemed to unfreeze, she (er he ... it?) Approached them slowly.  
"Ánleifr you are returned to us? How is this so, why would you give him back to us while Laufey storms your city to get him?" The giant demanded looking confused.  
"Laufey has engaged war on Asgard?" Odin asked looking surprised.  
"Yes, at he suggestion of Ánleifr from the future. For the horrid things that were done to him at the hands of Prince Thor." The giant said with a disgusted sneer Thor's way.  
"LOKI!" Odin screams in anger.  
Clint swears he hears malicious laughter in the back of his mind.


	10. War between brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long but I just wasn't satisfied with the battle between Thor and Loki, I feel the fight is lacking but it's the best I'm going to be able to do I guess, so have a present chapter :) and thank you for waiting so long, again I sorry :)

A well placed bolt of raw power on Loki's part has the entire southern wall collapsing in on itself before the Asgardian defence force even knows what's going on. Loki knows the force on the northern wall will have a much harder time getting in but he has no intention of staying to fight this battle.  
The Liesmith sees Odin riding into battle on a black mare, good he hadn't enslaved Slepnir on this branch at least, only because Slepnir wasn't alive but at least he was free.  
The trickster teleports into the weapons vault, he casts a shielding spell to prevent Odin and the destroyer from recognising he was in here and quickly walks over to the Casket of Ancient winters. With trembling hands Loki grasps the sides of the Casket. He can hear Odin in his memory telling him to stop.  
"Am I cursed?" He asks aloud and then laughs at himself.  
Yes, you are. He thinks derisively before lifting the casket and then teleporting to the main defence hall where he knew Thor would be hiding out. Odin wouldn't allow Thor to battle Frost Giants, not yet. And not here.   
Loki's guess was right and he spotted Thor standing next to Frigga who looked pale and worried. The were looking out at the southern wall.  
"A lucky hit mother, they couldn't know how to bring the wall down." Thor is assuring her.  
The entire hall is silent as they spot Loki seemingly all at once. He is dressed like a prince, not a warrior and he can see disbelief and shock on the faces of the warriors three. Sif just looks amused.  
"Who are you?" She demands and Thor turns to see the Jötunn standing in the centre of the room, holding the casket, and seemingly unconcerned with anyone in the room but Thor himself.  
"I am Loki of Asgard." Loki introduces himself as his blue skin is covered by Asgardian creme and his clothing melts away into his princely armour.  
"You are not of Asgard Giant." Thor hissed hatefully and Loki sent a blast of icy power at Thor but purposefully didn't strike him, just the wall beside him.  
"Watch how you speak Odinson." Loki growled hatefully.  
"You dare to challenge me Runt?" Thor snarled hatefully and hefted Mjölnir then threw her at Loki and the trickster went to dodge only to find he couldn't. When the Liesmith looked up he saw a woman casting a spell at his feet to prevent him from moving. He recognised her immediately, Sigyn. She had been his betrothed before he fell from the abyss. He knows he can break her spell but he doesn't have the time and so he banishes the casket to the realm between realms and smirk at Sigyn. After all he doesn't have to move his feet to teleport. That was her downfall in magic, she was far too specific.  
The Liesmith teleports behind Sigyn as Mjölnir smashes through where'd he'd just been standing.  
"Pity your Mage is far too obvious in her casting." Loki said and his sceptre materialised in his hand.  
"Let me insist you find a new one." He sneered and drove the tip through her stomach.  
The Liesmith had no intention of killing Sigyn, after all she'd managed to catch him by surprise, not many could.  
"You will pay for how you have wronged me brother." Loki sneered and disappeared in a flash of green.  
"Brother?" The Asgardian Prince whispered in bewilderment as the women folk rushed to attend to Sigyn.  
Thor headed for the large gold doors.  
"What do you mean to do my son?" Frigga asked and he don't look back.  
"Kill him." He answered with calm certainty.

~•~

Loki sat on one of the many arches of Odin's great hall Valhalla. The liesmith was watching the battle as he waited for Thor to find him, which he would eventually. Thor always found him.   
He smirked as he watched Farbauti cut down three Aseir soldiers in one blow. His eyes were drawn away from Farbauti by a primitive scream of Agony. Grid lay dead with his mate crouched over him screaming in an agony much worse than any physical wound.  
A wicked laugh bubbled out of Loki's mouth, teach that beast to mess with me, Loki thought as he watched the chaos unfold.  
If only his brother could see him now, see him destroy the home he loved, no matter that this was the wrong branch.  
"Consider this rehearsal brother, I will bring an end to the Asgard you know as well." Loki hissed softly to himself.  
The Liesmith stood quickly when he heard someone walking on the archway and he turned to face Thor.  
"This does not have get worse, stand down." Thor said firmly and Loki laughed, why were people always assuming Loki didn't want things to get worse?  
"No, things are finally going according to plan Odinson, I will kill you." The trickster hissed a maniacal smile spreading across his face.  
"If that's your final answer, so be it." Thor said and a bolt of lighting struck Loki in the chest.  
Even through the protections he'd thrown up against such a thing it hurt and threw him backwards. The Liesmith cried out in fear and anger as he almost fell off the arch. The trickster manage to pull himself back up before Thor could get anywhere near him but found his legs trembled too much to stand. After his fall into the abyss Loki had become terrified of falling, for good reason, and fear had him trembling violently.  
No! My plans cannot be foiled so easily, Loki screamed to himself and rose defiantly. A muttered spell and his sceptre was back in his hand.  
With no spoken signal the battle seemed back on, and the trickster was even more eager to kill Thor. No one could see him so weak and survive.  
Thor was just barely able to dodge a spear aimed at his head and deflect a dagger stabbed at his vulnerable throat. Loki pushed Thor back into a defensive posture with his back almost to the wall before backing off only to do it all again. He would have Thor exhausted and defeated before he killed him. Thor would kneel!  
"Why are you doing this?" Thor demanded while panting for breath.  
Loki gave a breathy laugh.  
"You threw me into an Abyss." He replied icily.  
"I have never met you!" Thor cried and Loki backed off slightly and eyed the man he'd blamed for his elder brothers wrong doings.  
No this Thor did nothing, but he was still Thor and if he couldn't kill his brother he would at least kill this version of him.  
"No, but another you did, and you shall pay for he cannot." Loki said decidedly and attacked him again with renewed vigour.  
There was a blue and red flash of sparks when Loki struck Mjölnir with his sceptre while aiming for Thor's head again. With their weapons linked together both pushed against the other desperately trying to make his opponent give ground and both knowing if he did it would herald his end. Loki was beginning to make Thor's exhausted arms give slightly and he knew it would be over soon, he would have his vengeance when something caught his attention.  
They both froze as another great scream erupted from the battlefield, Loki recognised it as a mates agonised scream and looked briefly to see Laufey collapsed by Farbauti's side. Loki found himself hoping Farbauti still lived, he who had accepted Loki even though he knew Loki wasn't his proper son. His brief lax allowed Thor to shove him away and the trickster stumble back, he glanced at Thor quickly before his gaze drew back to the fallen King and his Consort.  
"Do you see what your whim has done! Your father is dead!" Thor shouted and grabbed his face to make him watch when he tried to look away as Odin aimed a spear at Laufey's head demanding his surrender which the broken king gave easily as he sobbed over Farbauti's fallen form.  
"He's not dead." Loki denied brokenly.  
"Do you not recognise your mothers agonised cry?" Thor demanded in shock.  
"He's not dead!" Loki screamed at Thor shoving him away quickly.  
"LOKI!" Loki hears and laughs with malicious shock.  
Of course, Odin shows up now, well Loki wouldn't lose completely, he would claim some victory today.  
Loki teleports to Farbatui's side and kneels beside him, Thor forgotten. That oaf didn't matter anymore, Loki would get him one day.  
The Liesmith touches Farbauti's cheek and red eyes flutter open.  
"My child." He said and Loki gave a soft cry of relief, so long as Farbauti lived he could heal him.  
"Hold still." Loki whispered as he began murmuring in an ancient tongue lost to the ages by all but a select few, it was a healing spell he'd memorised long ago when Thor had just gotten Mjölnir and would need his hands healed before their parents found out he burned himself trying to call lighting.  
With a bitter smile the Liesmith throws himself into a healing trance. Farbauti would not die!


	11. Borrowing from Brokk

When Loki comes out of trance it is to rough hands jerking his face up. He is far too weak from energy drain to pull away from the large hands.  
"None shall ever suffer your lies again liggja hátalara." Thyrm hisses and plunges a needle through Loki's upper lip only to pull it out through the bottom.  
Loki screams through partially open lips as another giant holds his jaw almost closed but not quite so Thyrm can work. It is agony and he can't get away, truly he shouldn't have left himself so vulnerable in the first place.  
Loki casts desperate eyes around only to see Laufey glaring at him coldly and Farbauti being assisted up and led over to his mate and carefully avoiding looking in even the tricksters general direction.  
Thor and Odin stand by impassively while beside them stands... Thor and Odin. With Thor stands Clint Barton, Loki sends the archer a pleading look but the mortal turns away as a small voice calls him.  
A small black haired boy with green eyes rushes to Clint.  
"Dam look! That soldier gave it to me!" The child is crying happily and the archer smiled and scooped the little boy up. The boy shows him a gleaming rock that casts rainbows in the dirt when the sun shines through it.  
Loki recognised himself as a child and watched uncomprehending as Agent Barton - his slave! His pet Hawkeye who he has a mental connection with - smiles happily at the child and murmurs something to the boy that makes him beam.  
Would you pick a younger version of me then Barton? Are you so desperate to have me good you think you can raise me properly this time? Ha! No matter how you raise me Loki will always be Loki, the Liesmith thinks with bitter mockery.  
"Because of you Grid is dead!" Thyrm snaps in anger and purposefully stabs Loki's upper gums with the needle.  
The trickster snarls viciously at the giant as fresh pain rushes through him. The beast deserved his death one million times over, he deserved everything Loki gave him and worse. The giant should be thankful the trickster allowed him a warriors death and hasn't just ambushed and murdered him in a dark hall. He'd had enough chances to do it even if he hasn't realized who the giant was at first.  
Half of his mouth has been stitched shut and Loki whimpers softly as Thyrm pulls the thread tightly with a vicious smile.  
"Grid is dead because of you." Thyrm repeats and Loki's eyes must have shown his satisfaction this time because Thyrm smacks him roughly before continuing his work with more jerks and stabs than were necessary.  
Loki will kill him for this. They will all pay, they will all Kneel!

~•~

Clint can hardly stand to watch the large blue hands roughly holding Loki and hurting him. Blood was oozing from the Liesmiths puncture wounds and he sends Clint a pleading look. One so so very similar to Ánleifr's look when he sobbed that first night before he could understand them. Helpless and vulnerable and so terrified and agonised that Clint wished he could just kill the beasts hurting him and hold him until Loki wasn't scared anymore.  
"Dam you promised you'd protect him." Ánleifr whispered in his ear with betrayal clear in his eyes.  
"I can't stop them Ánleifr, Loki is the cause of all this death, they must punish him." Clint said wishing he could stop it.  
"As prince of Jotunheim I demand you stop!" Ánleifr snapped at the frost giants.  
They were tying the stitches shut already and snipped the extra thread before backing away from Loki. He bowed his head and Clint swore he could see Loki trembling a bit.  
The archer wanted to go to him but stopped himself knowing the trickster would only resent it.  
Ánleifr squirmed out of his hold and Clint set him down in surprise, the little boy had never done that before.  
The child sent him a disappointed look then rushed over to Loki's side.  
To everyone's shock the Liesmith allowed Ánleifr to wrap his small arms around his neck, he didn't hug the child back but he didn't push him away either. Perhaps it was because the child was a form of Loki and the Liesmith didn't mind being comforted by himself, after all he'd probably used his duplicates as forms of comfort before. Whatever the reason Clint soon found himself kneeling beside the god of mischief and resting a gentle hand on his shoulder not quite sure when he'd decided to move.  
Loki went rigid and sent Clint a hateful glare and shoved Ánleifr away and the little boy fell into the bloody dirt. He didn't seem upset just sad as he stood and dusted himself off, Clint had dressed him in the furs he'd worn when the child first appeared and when he glanced at Loki, who had banished the princely armour he'd been wearing, he wore almost the exact same outfit only he had a silver crown resting on his brow to finish off the outfit.  
Loki held his eyes and raised a hand to touch the stitches around his mouth. He tugged at one in the middle and agony flashed across his face but he kept tugging. Clint grabbed his hand and stopped him.  
"You aren't proving anything to anyone by hurting yourself." Clint said with a glare.  
Loki raised an eyebrow and it was answer enough, I'm proving to myself that you care, even a little bit.  
"Shut up." Clint mutter and grabbed his pocket knife to cut off part of his shirt to gently dab at Loki's face to remove the blood and tears that he hasn't seen the raven haired god shed.  
"I'll clean it better when we're home." Clint promised and surprise flickered through Loki's eyes.  
"Did you honestly think I'd give you to Fury in this state? I'm not a monster." Clint scolds and Loki raise an eyebrow, yes he had thought Clint would hand him over to SHIELD.  
Clint sighed and glanced over at Ánleifr who was watching with a sad smile a few feet away. He held Maria, but his sack of Candy and Russian Nesting doll were sitting at Laufey's feet. Clint held out a hand and the boy approached them again.  
"Ánleifr this is Loki, as you've guessed, Loki this is Ánleifr." Clint said and the Liesmith smirked though it clearly cost him quite a bit of pain to do that.  
Clint sighed, I suppose Loki will always be Loki, he thought with a hidden smile.  
"Ánleifr!" Two young voices called and the child jumped up and raced away with soft giggles, Clint found himself a bit hurt that the child didn't even say anything but pushed it aside, he'd missed his family dearly, Clint knew that. It still hurt a bit.  
The three boys collided in a three way hug and they laughed and spoke rapidly in their strange tongue.  
"No Candy for you for a month." Clint muttered sarcastically as he looked around them at all the destruction and Loki nudged him with a knee and raised an eyebrow.  
"I don't even like candy." Loki replied and Clint's mouth fell open.  
How? His mouth is STITCHED shut! Stitched! With a needle and thread. He found himself starring intently at Loki's stitches even bringing a hand up to hover over them, not touching but almost.  
He heard laughter and watched Loki's face and mouth more intensely but saw no sign of the tricksters amusement.  
"I am a Mage Agent Barton." He reminds him and Clint realizes he is the only one to hear Loki because the Liesmith is speaking in his mind.  
Our connection was severed, Clint thought in a whisper.  
"Come now you don't honestly believe that do you?" Loki's voice was gently mocking.  
There was so much Clint wanted to say to Loki, how he'd missed him, how angry he'd been at Loki, ask him why he did it, yet he knew the Liesmith would mock him and wouldn't answer his questions truthfully, Loki didn't do anything truthfully.  
So Clint settled for accusatory.  
"Do you have any idea what you put that child through?" Clint hissed softly for Loki's ears only.  
"As if it was all, how say you mortals, 'sunshine and roses' here." Loki sneered back as he stared at Clint in challenge.  
"You're infuriating." Clint groaned and leaned away from the intense gaze he'd been drawn into until they were almost nose to nose.  
"You missed me. Worried for me." Loki asked more than stated but Clint could read the surprise in his eyes.  
"Would you stop snooping around in my mind, and yes I worried you'd get yourself into trouble. Which by the way was a completely well founded worry." Clint pointed out as he gestured at Loki's mouth.  
"Yes, these are irritating." The Liesmith admitted and tugged at a stitch again.  
"Stop that." Clint snapped and pulled his hand away, without thinking Clint smacked his hand like a naughty child and not until he saw Loki's disbelieving look did he process what he'd done.  
"Did you just smack my hand?" Loki demanded and the archer shrugged.  
"I told you to stop touching them." The mortal replied calmly.  
"I am much older than you Agent Barton and I may do whatever I want." Loki hissed and defiantly tugged at a stitch again.  
Clint again grabbed his hand and smacked.  
"You may do what you want yes, but everything you do has a consequence." The archer said firmly and Loki ripped his hand from Clint's hold and brought it to his mouth again, he didn't tug this time just ran his fingers over the thread holding his lips tightly together.  
"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" Clint teased and Loki sent him a glare before tugging again.  
Clint grabbed his hand and smacked it three times and held it tightly when Loki tried to pull it away.  
"Stop, listen." Clint murmured and Loki held still and watched him.  
"Don't hurt yourself, I'm going to remove those later once we leave here, I think Odin is convincing himself to not destroy Jotunheim right about now so we should be leaving soon. Just calm down alright." Clint murmured soothingly and Loki's free hand came up and slapped him roughly across the face.  
"Don't patronise me Agent Barton and I am calm." Loki snapped in his mind and Clint brought a hand up to feel the gouges in his cheek from where Loki's nails had sliced when he'd slapped him.  
He wasn't entirely surprised when his hand came away sticky with blood.  
"If you'll excuse me I have a little boy to say goodbye to." Clint said tensely and stood.  
Loki sat silently as Clint walked away but the archer could feel him seething in what he now realised was a connection between their minds. Before now he'd just thought he was really familiar with Loki and how his min worked. He'd been such a trusting fool, of course Loki would protect his connection to his slaves with magic, it was stupid to think a hit in the head would dislodge the stubborn god. Maybe he could have hulk hit him, well no better not, he rather liked living thank you very much, crazy spiteful God of mischief or no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they will probably spend some time in Jotunheim, maybe two or three chapters, Odin has to make sure Odin doesn't destroy Jotunheim because Loki was being a spiteful arse, Thor will be trying to smooth things over on the Jötunn side and Loki will be spending some 'quality time' with Clint and Ánleifr.  
> Also the name Thyrm calls Loki - Liggja Hátalara - is Icelandic and it translates to Lie Speaker -- I'm trusting google translate though so correct me if I'm wrong :)


	12. Dungeon theatrics

The Liesmith paced the cell he'd been placed in angrily. He could smell the feast that Laufey's honored guests were enjoying and could hear their joyful tones even in the dungeon. He hated that child that everyone seemed so fond of, Ánleifr, the one Loki had been posing as.  
What really raised his ire though wasn't the brat, it was not even Agent Barton nor Thor and Odin. No it was much simpler than them, it was Farbauti. Loki could have escaped unscathed to safety if it weren't for him deciding to heal that ungrateful beast, and the creature he'd called Sire had avoided him like the mortal plague! He refused to look at Loki when the guards had dragged him past him to he dungeons, he refused to hear the tricksters mental cries of distress when the guards had beaten him when they'd first brought him down to the dungeons eight hours ago. Loki wanted him dead, wished he hadn't healed him.  
"Sir I don't think you want to see him, he tried attacking one of our own already." One of the guards was saying as a heavy and silent pair of footsteps walked down the path to his cell.  
Loki knew those footsteps, knew them like the back of his hand, perhaps even better. They had stalked by his side while hunting, ran by him after they'd caused mischief together, and they'd snuck into his room on hot Asgardian nights. They were Thor's footsteps, and not the ones of this branches Thor, but his brothers.  
Loki turned to face him as he reached his cell, malicious green eyes locked with troubled blue.  
"I brought you some ... Stuff." He said and awkwardly offered up the medical supplies he'd brought for the trickster.   
Loki wasn't stupid enough to take them, surely Thor had been told by this branches Thor what the Liesmith had tried to do. No his brother wouldn't truly be foolish enough to help, or would he?  
" Loki I know you are angry and scared right now, please let me help you." Thor pleaded and Loki bristled at the word scared, he was my scared!  
He is the father of lies, The Lord of Chaos, he is Loki! And Loki does not get scared.  
I do not need your help, the trickster wishes to scream but he cannot and so he settles for turning his back on him and walking further into his cell.  
"I will leave them here then." Thor whispered and Loki can hear the clink of metal on stone as his elder brother places the tray on the floor, the trickster knows that as soon as Thor leaves the guards will take the supplies.  
He listens as those footsteps walk away, dragging slightly, hoping Loki will call him back somehow, but knowing he won't.  
He is a fool to think Loki would ever reach out to anyone, no he'd had his hands slapped away by the great lady affection one too many times to reach out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know this is a really short chapter and I'm sorry but I have this packet I need to finish on before school starts back up, I'll try to post a longer chapter soon but it's probably going to be awhile again, I'm super sorry guys and thanks for sticking with the story as long as you have :)


	13. Broken goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will probably end up revising this eventually because I want more Clint Ánleifr time or maybe a spin off of their time together because I mostly skipped all the small parts that happened in my head but anyways here is my thirteenth chapter I promised for Tuesday night though its very late it is here :)

Clint and Thor sat at the high table near Farbauti and Laufey but right next to Ánleifr. Odin was off in Asgard and the mortal and thunderer had stayed in Jotunheim to keep an eye on Loki. Also Clint didn't want to leave Ánleifr yet.  
"Dam look, those are the nobles, they're awfully boring." The child said happily as he pointed farther down the table.  
Clint followed his gaze to a bunch of adult Jötunn who were easily three times the size of Thor, and he was a rather tall guy. Most of the giants seemed to be in a jovial mood, because Jotunheim wasn't being destroyed after all and their crown prince had been returned to them, but those that had lost loved ones in battle were silent and distant from the rest.  
"Thyrm is my fathers top general, he says that Loki is to blame for Grid's death." Ánleifr whispered and Clint pulled him into a hug.  
"Did you know Grid?" The archer asked and the boy nodded.  
"He took care of me when my Dam couldn't, he would have made a good Dam." The boy whispered mournfully and Clint smiled sadly.  
"I'm sure he's taking wonderful care of his baby in heaven." The archer said and Ánleifr looked horribly confused.  
"Heaven?" He asked and Clint cursed himself, he'd met actual gods, several of them and more than he ever wanted to, yet still he'd brought up another religion.  
"Yeah that's where a lot of us humans think people go when they die, uh where do Jötunn go when they die?" Clint asked carefully.  
"Well warriors go to Valhalla to train as Odin's elite forces, but my Sire says Giants aren't allowed in Valhalla and that we all go to Niflhel as a general rule." Ánleifr said sadly and Clint glanced over at Farbauti who was watching them with a calculating gleam that reminded Clint of Loki.  
"Would you care to explain?" Clint asked glancing back down at the boy.  
"Niflhel is where the evil beings are taken by the Dark Elves, my sire says its a horrible place and they make you drink poison and they torture you... I don't have to go there, do I Dam?" The child asked with his red eyes wide, after returning to Jotunheim Odin's magic had faded away and the child was again blue with blood red eyes, it was truthfully a bit unnerving.  
"No, I'll protect you." Clint promised softly because what else can you say to a toddler asking if he'll be tortured for eternity all because of his race, 'Yes you do darling, now be a good boy and allow the crazy Dark Elves to shackle you and whip you bloody?' Truly he'd done horrible things in his life, but mentally scaring alien children with kingly parents is not on Clint's bucket list, thank you very much.  
"Finish your dinner so you may show me that garden you were talking about." Clint prompted and Ánleifr happily tore into his food.

~•~

"You know, I'm not sure wether I want to smack you or hug you." Clint said as he approached the cell where Loki was being held.  
"If its any consolation I know where I stand." Loki murmured in his mind and Clint raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh, and where is that?" The archer asked curiously.  
"I want to kill the entirety of your horrible race." Loki replied as he turned to face the mortal.  
"That's charming Loki." Clint said with a sigh as he pulled up a wooden chair to sit across from the mischief makers cell.  
"If it weren't for Odin, Laufey would have you put to death." Clint pointed out and received a glare for his troubles.  
"Why thank you for providing me with such heart warming sentiments Agent Barton." The trickster sneered mockingly.  
"Watch yourself trickster, or I might just leave those stitches in so no one else has to listen to your lies." Clint snapped and Loki glared even more fiercely.  
"I am more than capable of removing them myself." The trickster hissed and Clint shook his head silently for a moment.  
"I'm sure you are, enjoy the dungeon." And with that the mortal was walking away to leave Loki alone in the dark again.  
"Barton!" Loki called in his mind and Clint turned to face the trickster.  
Troubled green eyes locked with his clear blue and he slowly walked back towards the cell.  
"What?" He snapped a bit more hostile than was necessary but oh well.  
"The child, I should like to see him again. If you would permit." Loki spat the last word like he were disgusted it were even in his vocabulary and Clint considered denying him for a moment before shrugging.  
"I'll see what I can do, it's really up to his parents." Clint replied and watched the blank mask close over Loki's features, so Laufey and Farbauti were a touchy subject then.   
"Or should I say your parents? What happened to your mother and father in our reality?" Clint pushed and Loki glared mutely at him for a few moments and the mortal was beginning to think he wouldn't reply.  
"They are dead, my Dam by my own hand, and my Sire died during the Great War, I believe." Loki said finally and Clint sat down again.  
"Tell me." He said and Loki gave a silent surge of amusement through their connection.  
"I have a feeling this is familiar." He said wryly and Clint only raised an eyebrow.  
"They are dead there is nothing to tell." Loki snapped and Clint leaned forward angrily as the trickster sat on his cot so they were facing one another and both comfortable.  
"There is always something to tell." Clint snapped back and Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"You have no right to access my mind." Loki sneered and Clint stood up so quickly his chair went flying.  
"No right!? You had no right to take over my mind and bend me to your will!" Clint snarled fiercely.  
"I had every right you dull creature! I am a god! Do you not understand what that means?" Loki hissed and Clint laughed coldly.  
"I can't believe I forgot who you really were, how you push aside and attack anyone who gives a shit about you! Pretty soon you won't even have Thor left, and who will protect the Liesmith from himself then!?" Clint snapped and stalked away.  
Loki didn't call him back that time.

~•~

"Dam, can I sleep with you?" A soft voice asked from by Clint's head and he forced his eyes open long enough to lift the sheets and Ánleifr crawled into the bed happily and curled into his arms.  
Clint was grateful again for the spell Odin had placed over him to prevent the frozen touch of the Jötunn from injuring him.  
"When do you leave?" The child asked as he began curling his fingers through Clint's hair at the nape of his neck, how he would miss this child when they were gone.  
"Tomorrow I believe." The archer answered and Ánleifr wordlessly buried his face in Clint's chest.  
For many minutes all was silent and Clint held the child gently and rubbed his back reassuringly.  
"Dam will you tell me a story?" Ánleifr whispered softly and Clint smiled sadly, something to distract them both, smart boy, just like Loki must have been when he was a child from the way Clint had seen Odin looking at the boy, as if he were a painfully happy memory personified.  
"There once was a mean god who wanted to conquer the earth, but a fierce man named Nick Fury gathered a force of unbeatable heroes, you might even call them earths mightiest heroes..."

~•~

"My Dam said you wanted to talk to me." A soft voice said and Loki glanced up from the doodle he'd been tracing in the snow on the floor of his cell. He'd been working on drawing Mjölnir when the child arrived, in fact he'd just finished her shaft and was onto the head. Interrupting brat.  
The trickster wiped away his drawing and approached the cell door.  
He raised a hand to his mouth and ran a hand over the stitches and the child nodded.  
"I understand that you cannot speak, but I should like to say something." Ánleifr said and Loki gestured that the child should speak.  
"My Dam, I want you to protect him for me. I am too little and I will never see him again, but you are big and strong and love him as much as I do, you must make sure that horrible man 'Nick Fury' leaves him alone." The child ranted and Loki would have laughed at the irony of it all if it weren't for the stitches. Because really Loki was the source of all their problems and the child expected him to be able to keep Barton out of trouble? No, Loki loved creating chaos too much to give it up, but perhaps he could postpone the major things, after all mortals don't live forever.  
Loki soon found himself nodding in agreement.

~•~

Clint kneeled in front of Ánleifr as Odin set about opening the portal again and Loki glared at the guards holding his arms and Thor said goodbye to Thor and they playfully bashed Mjölnir together earning a disapproving glare from the Odin not currently busy trying to branch hop on Yggradsil.  
Tears were streaming down the toddlers face and he was trying desperately be brave in front of his Sire and birth Dam but Clint knew it was a loosing battle and so he only pulled the toddler into a tight hug and fought tears of his own.  
Words were useless now, they both knew that whatever Clint said it wouldn't change the truth of the situation, they would never see each other again.  
"I love you Dam." Ánleifr sobbed softly and Clint hugged him tighter.  
"I love you too kiddo." Clint choked out and gently rubbed the toddlers back.  
"It's time." Odin announced as the portal took form.  
"No! Nonononono! Don't leave me Dam! Please don't leave me!" Ánleifr screamed as Clint stood up and the child tried desperately to stay in his arms.  
Clint gently disentangled the boy and set him on the floor.  
"No! No please." Ánleifr whimpered brokenly.  
"I'm sorry honey, I love you." Clint whispered.  
"I'm sorry honey, I love you." Loki mocked in his mind and Clint clenched his teeth and ignored him.  
"Please, you can stay with me here." Ánleifr begged but Clint shook his head sadly.  
"You know I can't, I have to return to my branch, I don't belong here hunny, we both know that." The mortal whispered and the boy launched himself at Clint's legs and sobbed brokenly in defeat.  
Tears streamed down Clint's face as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly and tried to force himself to breath.  
"I love you Dam." The child whispered again and that was that.  
Gently Laufey walked forward and scooped up Ánleifr and held him tightly, he gave Clint a weak smile and Clint returned it sadly. He gave a respectful nod of his head to Farbauti and then turned to Odin. Thor had already walked through and Loki would follow Clint and then Odin would follow them and close the portal.  
Clint sighed and nodded then walked through the portal. He forced himself to not turn around to watch the child he'd come to love.  
A gentle hand landed on his shoulder and Clint turned around and punched Loki hard in his cheek. Loki stared at him in surprise and Clint felt a deep satisfaction bubble up through his pain and the burning emptiness, the loss of purpose he now felt.  
"All of this is your fault, all of this pain, all of this suffering could have been avoided!" The archer snarled and Loki stared at him with an odd mixture of amusement and rage in his bright green eyes.  
"Not all this pain was my doing." The trickster responded mentally and Clint punched him again before Thor gently ushered him away from the trickster as SHIELD agents rushed into the kitchen of Stark tower, and Clint felt a horrible sense of guilt when he heard Loki plead in his mind for Clint to save him from them. The mortal only turned his back on the desperate trickster and walked into the living room to find his team mates, he needed a drink and Tony first and foremost.


	14. At the request of the King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one is really really short and I wouldn't have even posted this one with how short it is but I promised and so here it is :) and sorry it's been so long guys, I've restarted school recently and have gotten sick so yay :/ but I'll try and update something again soon and I'll make itlonger

Clint had been relaxing in his rooms for not even an hour after not being able to find Tony before his door opened. The archer looked up to snap at whoever had barged in but his retort died on his lips.  
"Sir?" Clint asked curiously and stood as Odin entered the room fully and shut the door behind him.  
"I need to ask you a favor Clinton Barton." The Norse god intoned and the archer nodded a bit nervously as he gestured to one of the two chairs sitting by his window. Clint took the rocking chair for himself.  
"Ask away." The mortal said softly and Odin smiled.  
"It is concerning Loki." The old king warned and Clint sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Isn't it always? Please continue." Clint muttered with a wave of his hand when Odin raised an eyebrow incredulously.  
"I need someone to watch over my youngest, someone able I control and care for him, I believe you are that person." The Norse king explained and Clint groaned.  
And he'd hoped for a few days of peace, yet he'd not even gotten a few hours, plus he'd never found Tony!  
"When do I start?" The archer asked with a sigh, the elder man smiled and patted Clint's arm in a friendly manner.  
"Your charge awaits you in the living quarters, heed this warning Clinton Barton Loki is in a foul temper." Odin wanted and the archer laughed humorlessly.  
"When isn't Loki in a bad mood?"

\---

The trickster glared hatefully at Clint as soon as the man entered the living room.  
"Nice seeing you too." The archer muttered sarcastically as he sat beside the trickster.  
The first thing Clint noticed was Loki's lips, they were bloodied and raw, the stitches hadn't been cut out but ripped.  
"Who did this?" Clint growled as he gestured at Loki's lips.  
The Liesmith glared at him in disgust, as if he thought the archer a fool for even asking.  
"While I may be a masochist Agent Barton I am not a fool." Loki growled though it obviously cost him great pain.  
"We'll talk later." The archer muttered as he inched closer to the unhappy trickster and gently ran a finger around his raw lips, not touching the wounded area but almost.  
"I wish to bathe." Loki replied and Clint nodded.  
"And so you shall, I'm going to have to clean these, you won't like it." The archer warned as Loki pulled away.  
"There's a great many things I don't like Agent Barton, one of those things is my brother, I've gotten used to dealing with unfavorable situations." Loki snapped and Clint sighed and stood.  
"Come on, lets go get your mouth cleaned up and then you can bathe." The mortal promised and after a few moments Loki stood as well and gestured for Clint to lead.  
The archer caught Odin's eye as they passed and the old king smiled and nodded at the passing mortal.


	15. Trickster catnip

Clint couldn't believe his eyes. Loki's wounds were healing right in front of him, every time the archer had tried to clean off Loki's mouth the trickster would push him away with a wordless snarl. Until finally only pale scars remained around the princes' mouth.  
"See I have no need of you Agent Barton." The green eyed man snarled hatefully and received a raised eyebrow of disbelief.  
"If it weren't for me you'd still be in SHIELD's custody." Clint pointed out and Loki smirked cruelly.  
"It is preferable to your company." He mocked and Clint had to clench his fists to keep himself from smacking the god.  
"I'm going down into the kitchen, you're welcome to join me when you're done with your attitude." Clint pulled he cliche parenting line before leaving the shocked and annoyed trickster in the room behind him.

\---

It took a full hour of Clint sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and picking at his breakfast before a soft knock sounded behind him. The archer glanced back to find Loki standing hesitantly in the doorway an eyebrow raised.  
His hair was wet and he was wearing a black pair of Clint's sweats and one of the mortals large grey lounging shirts too. The archer fought not to smile at the sight of the vain god wearing his 'comfy clothes'.  
"Doughnut?" Clint offered and the other man sighed and approached the table, the archer noticed as Loki ducked his head that the god had a small smile on his lips though it was gone before the trickster lifted his head again.  
"What has the allfather asked of you? Am I to be kept as a dog, passed down from one mortal master to another?" The green eyed god growled resentfully.  
Clint couldn't help being a bit surprised by that but in some sick way it made sense why the trickster thought that, after all it's probably what he would do to someone who'd wronged him.  
"No, I'm only keeping an eye on you until you can prove to your father that you're," and here Clint paused realizing he had nothing to say to finish that sentence but also knowing that if he didn't Loki would only grow more bitter and angry. "... Uh better." The archer finally finished after a too long pause.  
"Am I broken Agent Barton?" The sickly sweet tone to the gods voice really was the first clue that Clint should start running, unfortunately he'd never been one to listen to logic.  
"No, just damaged, really, really damaged." The mortal said giving the god an assessing glance.  
Said assessing glance was all that saved him from a strong hand crushing his windpipe, the man was able to see Loki's hand twitch a split second before it shot towards his neck, that split second allowed him to dodge - barely - and scramble away from the dangerous god.  
Clint noted in a distant corner of his mind that the doughnut box had fallen upside down onto the ground and that the cup of coffee he'd been drinking had splashed all over the floor and nearest wall while the ceramic mug had shattered completely.  
"I am a god, I could destroy you, end your pathetic, mortal life and continue to make your eternal existence a nightmare." Loki threatened through clenched teeth, his words barely a hiss but all the more frightening because of it; well they would have been if it were anyone but Clint the trickster was trying to threaten, Loki had a soft spot for him and he knew it. Hell all Loki's had a soft spot for Clint, maybe he was just trickster catnip? That was an interesting theory, one he would have to test one day.  
The god was stalking towards him purposefully and Clint knew he had to reply or risk a lot more than his life, while Loki wouldn't kill him the angry god was likely to hurt him.  
"But you won't." The archer said with such certainty that Loki froze mid-step before raising an eyebrow and shifting back so he was standing a mere seven steps away from Clint.  
"Are you willing to bet on that?" Loki growled and Clint didn't hesitate before nodding.  
"You won't kill me Loki." He repeated firmly and the trickster laughed and took another step away from the archer.  
"I ought to." Nine steps. Ten.  
"You'd miss me." Clint replied with a smirk and raised eyebrow of his own.  
"That's debatable." Loki muttered sarcastically before shrugging and turning away.  
The god left the kitchen without a backward glance and with a sigh Clint began to clean up the mess, all the while he didn't let himself acknowledge his thundering heart or trembling hands, after all Loki knew how to torture people, and Clint knew there were fates worse than death.

~•~

Loki sat by himself in Clint's room, or was it their room now? No matter, he was alone and that was all that was important. Already the mortals were beginning to annoy him, the way they watched him, as if unsure wether he was about to attack them or begin sobbing as that child must have spent his time doing.  
He'd caught Captain America watching him from the doorway to a spare room when he'd gone looking for Barton, and that had been both irritating and unnerving if he were honest with himself.  
The trickster began to gather his magic as he focused on the spell he'd wanted to originally cast, would it do to erase this entire experience from himself, can he truly destroy who he is to become who he was? Loki considers the thought carefully, if he were to revert back to a year himself before Thor's coronation why would be the consequences? Such a question Loki wouldn't have even thought of a week ago, but Barton was right, every decision has consequences and Loki had to learn to live with them. Also did he want to remove Barton from his life? If he were to erase the last few years of his life he would remove all memory of his hawk pet, the one he'd promised his younger self he'd protect.  
But if he did revert himself then Odin could not, because of his morals, punish Loki. The trickster would be able to look his mother in the eye again without feeling like a monster.  
It's what he'd originally wanted, to erase the monster he was, so why couldn't he just do it? The spell was hovering on the tip of his tongue and magic thrummed through his veins, so why didn't he push that final push and just get it over with? What was he truly losing? He would lose six enemies and he would gain his freedom back and his family. He sighed and realized one had to make sacrifices in order to stay ahead of everyone else.  
His decision made emerald green eyes slid closed and magic hummed in the still air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Not even I'm sure what's happening anymore :/ but I'm almost positive Loki has stolen my simple nice plot I started out with and mangeled and mutilated it into ... This :( but its certainly going to get interesting from here on out :) also tell me if you guys want me to do chapters from Ánleifr's POV or not


	16. Returned to innocence

Clint walked into his room (which he was now sharing with the god of mischief) a half hour after Loki had left him to clean up the mess in the kitchen.  
Said trickster was sitting on Clint's bed starring around silently, he jumped up at the sound of the door opening and suspicious green eyes locked on him. The mortal couldn't help but feel like an intruder as Loki glared at him.  
"If you want space I'll go hang out with Nat or something." Clint offered deciding it was better to not get into another argument with Loki so soon, after all a man can only handle so many death threats before lunch.  
"This realm, it is Midgard?" The trickster asked slowly.  
Clint froze and truly looked at Loki. His hair was shorter than the archer was used to seeing it, it reached his chin rather than his shoulders, and his eyes were different. They didn't have the same haunted look in them Clint had come to associate with Loki, something about him was innocent, something that hadn't been innocent an hour ago.  
"What did you do?" The mortal growled slowly as anger raced through him.   
Couldn't Loki behave for one day!? One day!  
"I don't comprehend, mortal." The Liesmith sneered defensively and Clint wished he had just put an arrow through Loki's head when he'd had the chance, everything would have been so much easier.  
"Who are you?" Clint settled for asking and the trickster looked slightly offended.  
"Loki Odinson, second prince of Asgard, God of Mischief, and brother of Thor." He stated with a proud note to his voice when he mentioned his relation to Thor, a relation he would have killed someone for bringing up around him less than a month ago. In fact a relation he had killed a scientist for while Clint was enslaved to him.  
"Stay here." The archer ordered and quickly left the room.  
He should have known better than to believe Loki would do what he was told.

~•~

Thor rushed down to Stark Tower with his father. Clint Barton was pacing anxiously by the glass door that lead out onto the roof where the bifrost sight was located.  
"Where is Loki?" Odin demanded of the mortal who gestured inside.  
"I told him to stay in my room." Clint stated distractedly.  
"He's not in there anymore." The thunderer stated with absolute certainty.  
"Of course he is, I told him to stay.. No, you're probably right." The archer admitted with a dismayed sigh.  
Thor pushed open the door and led the trio into the tower. The three men silently made their way to Clint's room, when they arrived the man pushed the door open with a feeling of dread burning deep in his chest.  
Really, all things considered, Clint shouldn't have been surprised when a ball of fire flew at his head. Honestly the fact that the fireball was green raised so many questions, but he was thankful when the fire sizzled out to nothing inches away from his face.  
"Loki!" Thor crowed in delight as the raven haired god watched them all suspiciously.  
"Brother? Father? What am I missing here?" The trickster muttered to himself as he frowned thoughtfully.  
"My son, what is the last thing you remember?" Odin asked the trickster softly.  
"Is no one going to at least tell him trying to barbecue someone's face is rude?" Clint demanded but his protests went unheard as the king approached the trickster god who was gradually relaxing as he recognized his father and brother.  
"I'd been helping mother plan the coronation feast... Sif was there keeping an eye on Volstagg, and I had glanced out the window, when I looked back at mother I was here." Loki spoke with a distant air as if he were deep in thought and unsure how to proceed with himself.  
"Loki I need to access your mind." Odin announced in a tone allowing no argument.  
Loki frowned in distaste and seemed to be trying to figure out how to deny Odin, Clint realized with a jolt he was guessing at what's Loki was thinking but had no clue. Whatever bond they had, had been severed, by the trickster himself no doubt.  
"I already know about your alliance with the frost giants Loki." Odin said with an annoyed glare.  
"How?! I've been careful! There's ..." The raven haired man trailed off realizing he was only incriminating himself.  
"I will explain everything to you once I have finished my examination." Odin promised though Loki didn't appear all that convinced.  
"Of course Father." Loki finally said with a respectful bow that Clint would never have thought the proud god capable of.  
"Sit." Odin ordered as he sat on the bed and silently the trickster complied.  
The older god held his hands palm up and Loki mutely placed his hands in Odin's much larger ones. Clint wasn't at all surprise to find that Loki's nails were perfectly manicured and the pieces were beginning to fall together for the archer.  
The trickster had realised he couldn't make a life for himself the way he was and so he'd erased his last few years of life both physically and mentally. The trickster looked exactly as the archer imagined he would have when he'd been planning the feast for Thor's coronation, in fact as Clint truly looked at the god he realised Loki no longer wore the large shirt and swears he had been in but some robes very similar to his armor but made of leather and distinctly lacking the gold that made up his armor. It looked made for comfort rather than warfare.  
Vivd green eyes slid closed and a moment later Odin's own did as well. Clint couldn't help but wonder if the elder god was committing his son temporarily returned to him to memory.


	17. Close the Distance

Thor and Clint sat in a silent, if anxious, vigil for over two hours while the two gods were off somewhere in Loki's mind. Clint wondered if it was as terrifying a place now as it had been when Clint had, had unlimited access to the tricksters mind - he didn't think it was.  
Finally Odin's eyes opened and after a few moments Loki's green orbs did as well. The two stared at each other for several moments before the trickster simply nodded and stood. He left the room without a word as Clint felt obligated to follow him.  
"No Thor, let him go. Let them speak." The archer distantly heard Odin saying as the door closed behind him.  
When Clint walked out into the hallway Loki was no where to be seen and he sighed softly.  
"Jarvis, were is Loki?" The archer asked and after a few moments of searching the AI replied.  
"He is on the balcony in the main living room, sir." Jarvis answered and Clint nodded not entirely surprised.  
"Thank you." He replied absently before making his way to the balcony where Loki was hiding.

\---

The door pushed open behind him but Loki didn't turn around. His mind was racing from what he'd learned from his father ... No not his father. Odin wasn't his father, Laufey was. And Laufey was dead, by Loki's hand no less. How cruel was fate that she would attack him like this?  
"You alright?" A hesitant voice asked behind him.  
"I am ... Managing." It was the closest Loki would admit to how much his world had been turned upside down.  
"How much did he tell you?" The voice pressed on.  
"Everything... Everything." The trickster stressed his voice breaking slightly but the mortal was kind enough not to mention his slipping control.  
"Why would you do this to yourself Loki?" The man asked with a sigh as he moved to lean on the wall beside the trickster.  
Absently Loki glanced at the man and recognized him as Agent Clinton Barton or "Hawkeye" according to his ... To Odin, he had enslaved the man.  
"Why are you here Agent Barton? Why do you seek my company?" Loki asked softly and the mortal laughed humorlessly.  
"I've asked myself that more than you can know," at this Loki smiled slightly in a self-mocking manner. "But honestly, I believe you're a good guy, deep deep down." Barton said with great emphasis on the second deep that earned him a slightly more sincere smile.  
"I've met several different versions of you Loki, I've met you when you wanted everyone to hurt as much as you did, I've met you as a Jötunn raised child, I've met you while you were hurting and alone, and I've met you while you're confused and you feel like you don't know who you are. And to tell you the truth I have in an odd way liked every single version of you I've met." The archer admitted in soft tones and Loki watched him for several seconds in silence.  
"I appreciate your kind words Agent Barton, but I have to wonder, do you truly believe them?" Loki asked softly as he shifted to face the man completely.  
"Yes." The mortal replied without hesitation.  
"Prove them to me." The tricksters voice was almost pleading and Loki personally wondered what he really meant by his words - prove to me I'm not a monster? Prove that someone can forgive the creature I have become?  
The mortal reached up and cupped Loki's face, the two men watched each other for several moments as they tried to read the other and then two pairs of lips met, one cold and the other warm. When asked later neither could say who breached that final distance.

\---

Thor watched with a growing sense of unease as Loki clutched at Clint Barton's shoulders and the mortal held just as tightly to the trickster as they kissed. Never before had the thunderer ever seen his brother so desperate for another's touch and yet Loki seemed to have no desire to ever move away from the archer.  
"Should we stop them?" Bruce asked behind Thor but Odin chuckled softly from where he was sitting on the couch.  
"Would you come between a dragon and his prey Dr. Banner?" The old god asked pleasantly.  
"No I suppose not, but who is the dragon and who is the prey?" The doctor asked with a sigh as he turned away from the widow which Thor was still staring out of with a kind if morbid fascination.  
"That is the question isn't it?" Odin replied cryptically and the doctor sighed as he left into the kitchen knowing neither god was going to do anything about the unhealthy relationship forming.

\---

An hour later Tony, Natasha, Steve, and Bruce where sitting in Bruce's lab as the Gamma expert finished explaining the situation to them.  
"So let me get this straight, we have an emotionally unstable god latching onto Clint who is also emotionally unstable and mourning the loss of his pseudo-baby who happened to be said emotionally unstable god. Also said god because of his emotional instability as reverted himself to the physical and mental state he was in before he screwed everything up in the first place?" Tony asked finally and after several moments - in which Bruce decoded what he had just been asked - the doctor nodded.  
"So we have to break up whatever this is before it starts." Natasha stated and the two scientists nodded but Steve looked unconvinced.  
"Why don't we let them try this? As far as I can see they both need it, Clint needs someone to depend on him and Loki needs someone to depend on, sure it's not the healthiest relationship but it likely won't last anyway, and it will hypothetically keep Loki out of trouble. Also is there anything we could do about it? I mean we'd be going against the god of mischief and Clint, really the odds aren't in our favor." The super soldier pointed out and slowly received several nods from the two scientists though Natasha looked decidedly unhappy about the conclusion.  
"If this is what you guys think is best for Clint I won't interfere." The assassin finally conceded after several tense moments as she thought things over.  
"Wonderful! Avengers disassemble!" Tony cried and the others simply rolled their eyes and left the lab.


	18. Goodbye

Clint entered the kitchen the next morning to find not Loki like he'd been expecting but Odin sitting in one of the kitchen chairs like it was a throne.  
"Where is Loki?" The archer asked curiously.  
"He and Thor have gone to visit their mother in Asgard, she has been most eager to see Loki again after learning that he is indeed alive." The old king said with a sad smile.  
As Clint look at Odin he realized just how much Loki's family had suffered from his supposed death and then his betrayal to Thor and their pain as they watched their youngest child destroy himself.  
"Is Loki having done this really such a bad thing?" Clint asked softly and received a sad, pain filled sigh.  
"Yes, because Loki changed himself in an effort to avoid punishment not to learn. He cares not about others but only his own comfort, this is why I must reverse my sons spell. Yet I cannot find him anywhere within his mind, I fear desperation caused Loki to truly erase who he was." Odin said despairingly and Clint wanted to say something to make Odin a bit happier but he knew there were no words to ease his heavy heart.  
"I don't mind him staying here still." The archer offered softly and Odin smiled.  
"No, I don't think you do." He said with a smirk that made Clint want to blush like a school girl, well at least he knew that Odin had seen them and they didn't have to hide it ... Whatever 'it' was.  
"I want to take care of him and keep him safe." The mortal protested weakly.  
The god laughed loudly as Clint sat in an embarrassed and sulky silence, although he was privately glad that he'd distracted Odin from his dark thoughts.  
"Loki will return to Asgard while he is no threat to himself or others, he is no longer yours to worry over. I thank you for your time and dedication Clinton Barton, but from here on out Loki is no longer your burden." With that Odin stood and left the kitchen.  
Clint sat starring dumbfounded as everything he'd worked towards was ripped away from him. His taking care of Ánleifr, his taking care of Loki - short as it was - the relationship he'd wanted to form... Everything was just gone. Just like that. Loki was gone. This was perhaps more painful than saying goodbye to Ánleifr, because Clint hadn't gotten to say goodbye, hadn't seen Loki since the night before when they'd gone to bed with Clint on the pull out couch-bed and Loki claiming Clint's bed for himself.   
He'd never again see that mischievous glint in Loki's eye, or his mocking sneer. He was truly gone.  
"He was never a burden." Clint denied to the empty room.  
And if he cried no one was there to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short I know, but what I have planned for the next story would be just too much for this story. Also I would like to thank everyone who's stuck with me to this very anticlimactic end and I hope you stick around for the the sequel and let me know what you thought :)


End file.
